You Will Travel With Me
by Crashrox92
Summary: Prequel to Transformers Prime OC pov, before Jasper Nevada, before ever meeting the bots, Ellen lived in Tranquility unbeknownst to their existence, and about to land on Earth, "Bumblebee, gather only what is necessary, we shall rendezvous with you on Earth when you provide the signal...and remember, do not make contact with the indigenous life." and then there was Optimus.
1. Another World, Another Chance

**N/A hey I'm back ^^ from suggestions and some requests here is the prequel, something that will either be liked or disliked and go horribly wrong :S something as a concept has been done hundreds of times but I'm doing my own version but hopefully different enough to be followed. **

**So, as a reminder this is a prequel, so those who had read Transformers Prime OC Pov will be more familiar but I think this can be followed by anyone (I hope :S) as well as involving my oc and her origins with Optimus I'm doing my own version of what they did when first arriving on Earth and then everything after leading up to Transformers Prime, with bayverse characters will appear, Sam being a major appearance, Will, Epps, even Fowler before he retired to do more federal activity may include some continuity errors :P So I hope this goes well and...go easy on me :)**

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><p>Thousands of years had passed since the War, Is what the three bots thought standing silently on the surface of Mars. 56 million kilometres away from their next destination after planet hopping clusters of civilisations, in constant search for Energon…that is a reliable source of Energon. Always just one step behind the Decepticons and it was enough for them to have already lost. Whatever Energon they found barely sustained themselves let alone support an entire unit to keep the Decepticons at bay.<p>

Each planet they encountered shortened their numbers, but now a new opportunity had presented itself as Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Bumblebee find themselves two steps ahead this time, and Earth was in their sights.

"Are you absolutely certain Optimus? Bumblebee will be alone this time, who knows what this planets inhabitants are capable of, the very little information we had managed to gather from our ancient records, that this was a rather primitive planet...and it is highly likely the nature of this form of life is as well." Ratchet said sceptically.

"Bumblebee is one of our best scouts, no matter the environment or circumstance." Optimus reassured looking ahead.

Ratchet turned to Bumblebee who was punching the air, "For the most part." He said.

"He will only be a couple of solar-cycles, locate and confirm Energon, gather intel of the species and depending on those two objectives, we shall rendezvous with him." Optimus said.

"According to our intel and scanners, this time, it's a large depository. Largest we've seen in fact." Ratchet explained with a mixture of a grim and hopeful tone. Hopeful to the fact of that they had a chance this time but also that they would be staying on this planet for longer than he would like to.

"And a large interest for the Decepticons." He reminded.

Ratchet sighed. "With only three of us, I can't but feel low in the spark. Now we just barely survive."

Optimus looked hardened as he gazed upon space taking in that comment, true enough they were few, however they were of quality, but was that enough? Along their way for new sources of Energon they had come across numerous cultures including those who were distance cousins to them In a way, but there ranks thinned, sparks hardened, especially his own, but still holding onto hope.

Just a feeling alone had told him that this planet was that hope, but meant there would be hard times for this world as well. Though two steps ahead of Megatron, they were very small steps and encountering Decepticons very often the closer they got to this world was evidence enough.

And from intel that was received from a small unit, who now no longer exist, word had reached that Megatron had possession of something, the words 'weapon' and 'planet destroying' was the few words that were able to reach them. He shut his eyes briefly recalling the distressed bots but shook it off to focus. "Remain hopeful old friend, this planet despite its appearance feels familiar." he said.

"Hm…" Ratchet murmured before turning to Bumblebee. "You ready Bumblebee?" he asked.

**"Sure am."** He beeped.

"Remember." Optimus started. "Seek cover as soon as you land, Ratchet has provided co-ordinates where vegetation grows far from human culture."

"From what we know so far of their technology, you should be able to acquire a practical means of disguise." Ratchet said.

"When you have completed the necessities, signal us, and we shall join you." Optimus said.

**"Right."** Bee said looking ahead out to space a sound of tittering came from him.

"Bumblebee?" Ratchet said quizzically at his behavior.

**"Another world...Wonder what its like." **he wondered naïvely.

"Stay focused Bumblebee." Optimus reminded simply. "This is not exploration, we can not involve those species into our faults."

**"But like those other worlds, we couldn't stay. Because we didn't have any ships, I mean we lost the Ark. Now everyone is...everywhere. Maybe we should ask for help this time, from this race?"**

Ratchet slightly scoffed, "That should go well, 'a primitive race encountering alien life'."

Bee rolled his optics as he sought another answer instead, "Optimus?"

"Ratchet makes a valid point, we do not posses enough evidence that this race is ready for first contact."

his 'wings' drooped, **"But maybe it'll be different this time, maybe they are ready. I'll check them out first. And depending on what I send you, could we? We have to try something different."**

Optimus looked Bee's hopeful optics over, rotating and brightening to win him over no doubt, and he mentally sighed, "I will consider it."

Bee produced a high-pitched beep as he jogged on his feet, **"Alright, I'm ready."**

Ratchet nodded to him as Bee lost focus with his own excitement, he'd always wanted to approach different species, but of course that was out of the question, but now with the hint 'maybe' he thought of who and what he'd meet. It had been so long since he could wonder about anything besides the constant fight, always being alert and always moving.

Optimus watched the young bot turn quickly distracted, Ratchet folded his arms as he murmured, "Bitter sweet." He said looking at Optimus whose optics drifted concerning the medic. "Is that just a physical expression of fatigue or lack of Energon?" he asked.

"No." he simply said. "Just my thoughts, when given the time to look back on the path you moved forward from, you had wished you had not."

"Mm, well we'll just have to rebuild that path." He reassured getting a thoughtful glance. "We need a place of base. As much as I loathe the idea but Bumblebee did have a point himself."

Optimus bowed his head slightly, "Yes. I know." He said to him as he started walking forward towards Bumblebee who stood at attention at the feel of his presence. "Remember Bumblebee, do not make contact with the indigenous life." In saying this Bee produced a low sound. "And only depending on their cultures system and social behaviour..." he hinted as Bee's face lit up, "But, I cannot guarantee this."

He nodded in understanding. **"This time for sure, I know we're going to turn this in our favour."** He added hopefully.

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><p><strong>AN Starting short :) The image for this fic is temporal trying to find or create my own so may be a while :P. so yeah, hope this goes well and please R + R but no flames thank you, I am very sensitive :} pfft especially when starting a new story.**


	2. Sam, the ahem, Babysitter

**A/N I'll admit I was a little sceptical about writing this but after seven faves from familiar faces...i mean names :P I got a passion boost and I'm guessing you guys are interested :) so to start off this chapter will explain the kind of relationship Ellen and Sam have, it's not the fluffiest, more like lovable jerkish and slightly awkward which is basically Sam anyway :P then after that we dive straight back into Bumblebee's current situation**

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><p><strong>2 years later<strong>

**Tranquillity, West 24th Street, Midtown Los Angeles**

A family of three and a temporal guest occupied this street, In the kitchen of their home, Sam Witwicky who was 16 years of age, a typical adolescent teenager leant against the wall as he looked back and forth into the living room speaking with his Mom, Judy. "I'm getting paid for this right?" was his quick response to a simple question.

Judy scowled at him, "Paid? A little girl only asks for company and you want to make sure your finances are covered?"

"Then why aren't you looking after her that would make more sense seeing how you are an experienced parent and, the full-fledged adult. Kids looking after kids? Yeah great call." He said. "Besides she's eleven years younger than me, it's just, **weird**. It's not like she's my sister or anything."

"Look if it's that much of an inconvenience for you, fine we will pay you. And don't mouth off to me like that, we take care of her yes, but she needs someone a little younger to keep her company who at least can **remember **what it was like to be a kid, this was just an act of learning, to give you more responsibilities-"

"Come on, that is, bull-shit." He looked back at the living room, "But, after my exams and the money stripped of me after I get the car, the extra cash **would** help." he said a little reassured.

"Urgh, I never realised how grubby you are." She scoffed.

He looked at Ellen yet again and slightly cringed, "There is a **reason** they use kids in horrors movies, look at those dead eyes." He told her.

She slapped his wrist making him grunt a lazy 'ow' "Don't say that, she's been here almost three months and you've barely said hello, its rude." She said taking a peek into the living room herself, "She shouldn't even be aware of what her father is doing right now…he could get hurt, possibly killed, poor baby, I don't think she fully understands but she gets the idea that he's not somewhere safe."

"Why do you say that?"

"Her mother died just last year at the base where she was born, lost to a fire at one of the hangers." She explained. "She was a witness and victim involved, I couldn't even imagine what she felt."

"Oh…wow, t-that's rough." he said rubbing the back of his neck. "I though she was here because they were on business or something..." his Mom stared at him. "What? I'm sorry I haven't been asking for her background, but you have to understand that in this day of age, education puts a lot of pressure on my generation." he argued melodramatic.

"M-hmm." ignoring his argument, she finished what she was saying. "Now her Fathers had to go back into the field to finish his three months, so now, he should be coming home soon and she's getting anxious."

"Just going to ignore me huh? And you wonder why I learn everything off the internet, maybe I'll meet up with friendly middle-aged strangers." he dropped a lazy hand in front gesturing that she can forget it. "Fine...lets talk about **her**...Wait, so she was with her Mom and Dad out there? So she was born out there? No offense but, aren't her parents kind of jerks for doing that?"

Judy rubbed her hands together, "Well…I could never ask what the purpose behind that was, I couldn't think of one. Besides, if I had started running my mouth I'd be afraid to slip something by accident."

"Knowing you? Yeah...good call."

"I think she's slightly…Mm, 'intimidated' by me and your Dad, she's shy, doesn't really say much to us, just nods and shrugs…Just, go talk to her okay? And without freaking her out, she'd be like a deer caught in the headlights, you do stutter a lot."

"I'm sorry what?" he said over his mothers continuous speech.

"Speech therapy didn't really work and-"

"Hey-hey-hey. Okay? I get it, I'll…talk to her, or something. But don't expect me to play with dolls and sit on plastic chairs **impossibly** small." He complained walking into the room, he inhaled to how badly this was about to go, watching Ellen play with the blinds in a consistent manner, he placed his hands in his pockets leaning on his heels slightly, "Er…Hey." He said not so smoothly as he had planned.

She turned her head to him and flashed hurt, but bright blue eyes at him, and she had a look he was a little uncomfortable about, that 'stare that sees through your soul' uncomfortable feeling. In reality just a little shy, timid, a little hurt so didn't really respond. _"O-kay…don't know why I even did that…Urgh, this is so dumb. H-How do we even know her family anyway?"_

"You, don't want to go out or anything?" he then asked her scratching the back of his head.

She shrugged as a response, he sighed. "You wanna use words? If you wanna use words that's cool with me, yes and no isn't offensive if that's it."

She trailed her fingers against the side of the window as she timidly answered, "N-No."

"There, straight to the point right? So, what you just going to stare out the backyard all day? You are pretty pale, don't get out much do you?"

She frowned slightly, "I'm waiting." She argued looking at the grass. "It's green here."

He raised an eyebrow, "O-kay then, colours, great." the way she said it, was helping him ease up. "I know your waiting, but just go out back or watch TV or something, no offense you're freaking me out." He grinned awkwardly. "You can probably tell but I don't really try to run into little kids, can't blame me for that one who kept kicking a soccer ball up against our garage door, I can still hear his smug laugh." He said as he hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder just to try it out of comfort, but she slightly jumped.

"O-Okay-okay-okay…I'm sorry, I-I get it, we're not at that point in the relationship, you need your space, don't call me I'll call you? heh-he-urgh…" she looked him over warily, she had no idea what he was saying and he talked way too fast.

He knelt down wiping a hand over his face, "Look…Are you still going to wait like this?"

"Yes."

He sighed, "You know, you've been waiting a while now, you'll probably _starve_ to death." He joked lightly.

"Huh?" she squeaked.

"Probably, turn into a skeleton, all the flies will buzz around you." he added imitating the said flies.

"S-Skeleton?" she was barely able to say holding her hands to her chest.

Seeing the wrong way his joke was taken he placed his palms out in front in surrender, "I-I-I'm only joking, just-just trying to get you to do things because it's pointless waiting there. It's boring, how are you a normal kid? To be able to sit quietly and stare out the window? I didn't even know you were staying here for the first month."

"Why didn't you just say that? And I'm **not **weird."

"I-I never said- what? B-Because, I…wh- I-I don't know I wasn't sure of your mental state or if you're a sociopath or what, I have to tippy toe around guys I don't know."

"You talk a lot." She simply said.

"Well…you don't." he argued making her look at her feet with a slight cast of a glare in his direction.

She felt she had a reason for that, despite knowing his name she didn't know him, she had to give him a background check the only way she knew how. "Uh…w-what's your-your favourite Colour?"

"...W-hat?" he said confused.

"co-lor." she spoke slowly genuinely thinking he had difficulty understanding.

"Oh...Er, Red?"

Her nose wrinkled up, "Reds okay I guess…Mines blue, but there partners, so that's okay."

"Makes purple too." He added.

"I don't like purple." She stated.

He clasped his hands together, "Alright, alright. So I'm not going to freak you out anymore?"

"I guess." She said.

"So, I gotta be your caretaker or something, but not exactly sure what to do." He admitted.

"I think, you just watch me, that's what your Mom said."

"Great I'm being conspired against." He sighed. "Well I'm going out to see some friends you…you'll be okay here with Mom." He told her with an awkward tone.

She looked to the kitchen as she dipped her head and shrugged as he sighed scratching the back of his head out of habit. "So, you know I'm Sam right?"

"Y-Yeah…You know me right?"

"I thought it was Ellen?" he said awkwardly chuckling as her face remained flat in expression.

"That was bad…" she said screwing her face up.

"Again, I haven't studied child psychology if I sound dumb it's because I think you're dumb. Which you probably are to an extent." He said.

"..."

"...Not doing great so far, I have my grades to worry about, which the stakes are high in, as it's the only way I'm going to get myself a car." he muttered.

"You can drive?" she said excitedly.

"You sound surprised?"

"W-Well, erm…"

"I'm screwing with you…I just passed."

"But, no car?"

"Well, No, who are you the grim bearer? bearer of grim?"

"Just saying." She said looking out the window yet again.

"_Not again, don't look out the window again." _Sam thought. "H-Hey you know I thought you were being a creeper before, staring out the window most of the day."

She frowned.

"I-I-I mean, staring out the window won't make him get here any quicker, doing stuff er, moves time?"

She folded her arms unconvinced, "It does?" she said out of false hope anyway. "Then-Then, he'll come back faster right?"

"S-Sure." He said looking at her and felt a little sorry for her, in her white polo shirt, blue jeans, pink sneakers and slightly short ruffled brunette hair he mumbled painfully to himself as he hissed through his teeth, "L-Loook. I don't….have to see my friends anyway, it's just a hang out thing, talking crap and **other **things."

She blinked confused at him, "like, stickers?"

He scoffed, "Sure, all over our bags." He joked. "Look why don't we go out or something? You're turning anti-social so I guess it's up to me to correct that. My Mom already raised a reject you don't deserve to share the same fate."

"She scares me." She admitted as they exchanged snickering smiles.

"Yeah…me too. and the neighbours...**and** her friends, if she had any." He agreed looking out the window to look at the trees, "How about, the park? Do kids still do parks? That place is all rusted to hell so."

Her eyes flicker, "Never been to a park, do they have swings?"

Briefly forgetting that she was a military brat, for the first four years of her life he wondered what she **does **know. "Yeah, swings, I'll…even push you, or something." He offered from guilt.

She stood up locking her vision on him, "Y-You will?" she asked shyly before scuffing her feet. "I-I can push myself." She then claimed stubbornly.

"Wow, you actually sound lively than." He said putting his hands in his pocket as he started to walk towards the passage, "I'm a fast walker, so if you're coming, keep up. I'm not on a contract you know."

She nodded slowly linking her hands together, "Kay…" she said sprinting towards him.

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><p>At the park, Sam looked around, paranoid that he felt eyes on him, and cautiously looking around for anyone he knew from school as he pushed Ellen on the swing which he has come to regret now, she was nervous at first, the swing wobbled and she gripped the swing like her life depended on it despite her feet only being three inches off the floor. Though Sam was never the patient type anyway, "It's not that hard, you have to swing yourself sometime. Just push your legs up high like you're kicking both at the same time and then tuck them in to bring yourself back."<p>

She made a slight whine sound, "I-I don't want to." She said. "Push me some more…please?"

He sighed, "Fine, but if anyone asks your my relative, people always get funny when you reply with 'just a kid I'm looking after'."

"Why?"

"J-Just how society works now is all, don't worry about it." He said continuing to push her lazily. With the sounds of a squeaky swing going back and forth, and the sounds of children playing in the background the silence of not speaking felt awkward and he didn't like to be silent too long, "So, your Dad just went back to do his time?"

She shrugged, "I…think so, he said he has to 'finish up' then he'll come back for me." She said looking up, "He said we'd get a house." She smiled lightly, "a one with a lot of grass like yours, probably better too."

"You have a weird obsession with grass." He said.

She looked to the floor, "There's not much where we used to be…grass is cool shut up."

he tilted his head back, "I can't figure you out at all."

"…push me higher." She huffed.

"You suddenly got a mouth on you." he commented, giving her a light push again. "On edge."

"Sam?" she then said meekly.

"What?"

"It's been ages now…did he get lost?" she asked worriedly.

Sam stopped pushing, "No-No-No, i-it takes a while to travel from there to here th-that's all, come on don't get depressed that's just sad."

"I wish Mommy was here…" she said starting to slowly swing herself.

He felt awkward at that point heck he had no idea how to approach this, he couldn't really relate let alone sympathise, he was good at distractions though, "…h-hey, er, you wanna try the seesaw? You try getting me off the ground and I'll…get you something or…something. If you can't, you can clean my sock draw out."

She looked up terrified, "b-but they stink like mushrooms."

"I happen to like the smell of fungus, it has a **tang **to It." he argued with a formal accent.

She stopped swinging, "Gross." she jumped off running to the seesaw, and sat herself on it. "Your weird."

He scoffed a laugh, "You ran for that thing like your life depended on it. Sure don't worry about offending my socks or my feelings."

She smiled shyly, "Y-You stink."

"I knew you weren't shy, kids are devious freaks."

She thought to herself, thinking to thank him for talking to him despite knowing he was getting allowance for it but didn't know how to say it and instead just shrugged at him, she did feel a little left out, a little abandoned, but waiting all that time did get boring. She noticed he had sweaty palms and wasn't exactly sensitive but she liked him nonetheless for any kind of company was fine.

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><p>Inevitably she did lose but she wanted to do it for whatever reason Sam didn't know out of stubbornness was his guess, but that didn't mean she was fine with it as she walked folding her arms over her chest kicking her feet up and frowning at the ground, "Told you, you'd lose." Sam boldly said.<p>

"Just cos you're fat." She huffed going a little red in the cheeks. "y-your fat a-and stink like a-a sink."

"A sink? Wow, such charisma, take it easy." He said as she scowled at him, "Urgh, evil eye, look the pouting is something I can deal without, how about a compromise instead? I have a shit ton of movies and games in my room. You can help yourself to whatever, is that fair?"

She perked up a little, "Games?"

"U-huh…just, don't get anything sticky or spill anything or trip over wires and bust my stuff right?"

"S-Sure I'll be careful." She said happily.

He glanced at her suspiciously, "Well good, but don't spill anything on anything, I-I-I'm being serious now."

"Thanks Sam." She said taking a grab for his arm.

He fake cringed, and thought, _"Aw come on-come on don't drag me down with your separation anxiety" _but thought to say "Sure. I mean what's a better way to entertain and nurture than TV and video games?" he said.

"Huh?"

"Never mind…can you let go of my arm now? I need blood to flow through that." He said taking sudden deep breaths.

"You okay?"

he looked grimly ahead, "Y-Yeah…just remembered, final grades next week, if I don't get at least 4 A's Dad won't help to buy a car."

"A's? Have you tried soup?"

He snickered mockingly, "Not those kinds of A's, you don't have to worry about that for a while, I'm tired of using my legs, or relying on friends who aren't that reliable, public transport that lives up to its name, Get something that can get me out of here you know?"

"No." she said walking, "Can I come when you get your car?"

"I…Don't think so. Just stay at home you can see it when we drag it back on the end of a tow truck."

She shrugged.

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><p><strong>AN Yeah kids are weird, but Sam you're so smooth and responsible, I doubt those video games and movies have a universal friendly rating :P right onto Bumblebee and his predicament. so yeah hope to hear from you guys :)  
><strong>

**Hope this one turned out alright getting intros done are tedious, but next one will hopefully be better if not :)**


	3. A Chance Encounter

**A/N trying to do shorter chapters so I can get them out faster instead of posting a scroll long chapter every 5 weeks :P lets see how long THAT lasts.**

**ZabuzasGirl - I hope this came fast enough :)**

**Angelwings5952 - Thank you :3 I hope you will enjoy what I've got planned :)**

**Wolfassassin369 - I'm glad your excited :D it makes ME excited too XD**

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><p><strong>A Chance Encounter <strong>

A week had passed, and Ellen had wished Sam had approached her sooner, she was feeling more comfortable around him then she ever did arriving there, though they still had a give and take kind of thing about them.

She had already gotten through all his movies, gotten bored with his video games but she was more social now, open and less worried with waiting and convinced her Father would be home soon.

And now another morning, Ellen arose more early due to her energy youth provided, which made it all more annoying to Sam as she would just barge into his room and jump on him yelling and shouting, despite feeling good about himself that he was able to communicate with something that usually annoyed him…he regrets that now, she **is** something that annoys him.

But quickly he had gotten a lock for his door but that never stopped her. *Knock! Knock!* "Sam?" she called. "Sam…Sam…get uuuppp."

Sam placed a pillow over his head, "It's…like…" he looks drowsily at his clock, "6...30?! Its 6:**30** in the morning!"

"Is it?" she called cheerfully.

"That's not a good thing!"

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"No…"

"Pleas-se?"

"No! Why isn't Mom intervening right now?! Mom! The troubled child needs attending!"

"I wanna show you something though." She said.

"No you don't, you just want me to open the door."

"But I **really **gotta show you something." She continued.

"No…"

"Plea-s-se!"

He then threw the pillow at the door, "No Ellen…go away, leave me alone for the **love of god**!"

She kicked the door before turning around to go downstairs meeting their chihuahua at the bottom of the stairs, "Hey Mojo-jo-jo." She greeted finding the light switches jumping up three or four times for each switch lighting up the whole house. "Sam's being a million again…" she lightly petted his head. "So I gotta feed you. And Sam too." She told him going towards the kitchen.

Using various footstools and chairs, she rustled up three boxes of cereal, milk, bread, various raw meats and frozen peas. "First, you." she said to Mojo digging into the cupboards and dragging out a bag of dog food and spilling half of the bag over the floor. "Oops…" she said, "T-There's your breakfast mojo." She said as he just stared at her. "You gotta eat it, its good stuff." She looked up to the side, "Now me. Then Sam."

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><p>It was about eight-o-clock when Sam had got up, dragging himself from bed as he got downstairs just about dressed and quickly washed. He had a study book in his hand flicking it back and forth trying to use mind over matter techniques to get him to learn better as he nervously scratched his head, "Okay…just get this done, and I'll never have to use half this stuff ever again." Greeting Mojo who was relatively quiet for some odd reason he skidded into the kitchen.<p>

Being half asleep he was slow in noticing, "Hi Sam." Ellen greeted sitting in a chair eating cereal that overflowed all over the table.

He rubbed his eyes, "You couldn't wait for Mom to do it?"

"I can do it." she argued.

"Clearly…" he said. "Look, just fill the bowl half way with cereal and then the milk, **don't **fill it to the top and then pour in the milk." He said shaking his head as he looked to the side…and froze. "Ellen…w-wh-what have you been…been-been doing?" he said as she lightly smiled at him kicking her feet back and forth.

"Breakfast…" She argued.

The aftermath of what she defined as 'breakfast' was black charcoaled bread, with a slab of beef on top slightly melted peas and another charcoaled toast on top with cereal to top that, the mess around with making this masterpiece was indescribable, comparing it to a robbery was a compliment.

"Just…wha-wha-wha-what? **What?** Wh-why-why did you put dead raw cow on what is basically carcinogenic toast and hyper active cereal?"

She put her spoon down. "Um…be-cause..."

He pinched his forehead, "You know what forget it, its Mom's problem, I-I gotta go." He said. "You just sit in the living room watch cartoons or something, don't touch anything sharp or stick your fingers in the electrical outlets."

"I **know**." She protested. "That's just…dumb." She said a little hesitant.

"Alright then, well, see ya later." He said darting out of the kitchen.

"Bye…" she said lowly at his quick exit, waving a slow hand. She looked around the empty silent room, then putting single pieces of cereal into her mouth and sighed then looking at her Simba teddy that sat on the table in front. "You want some?"

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><p>It was now about late afternoon as just outside of town, Bumblebee taking on the vehicle form of a yellow Camaro tried avoiding going over the speed limit. However this was difficult when it was a speed chase with two dark shaded purple Vehicons. His rear mirror rotated following the twos movements. <strong>"They DID find me...I should've turned back, but I had to go a little further, now I gotta try and lose them…"<strong> Bee frantically thought to himself trying to keep his tyres to the road.

Coming into town he thought to take advantage of the congestion that presented itself, changing into lanes and trying to blend with the traffic, thankfully his vehicles coat was faded in colour and gathered with rust. The Vehicons took either side of the lanes, but showed they were in search of him as there mirrors were also turning. As the traffic started moving Bee maneuvered his way around until he was able to make a turn.

"**I hope that's enough…"** he thought, careful to still stick to the speed limit in such a rural area but looking in his rear mirror that wasn't any kind of risk to the Vehicons as he saw the two just behind again. **"Scrap…"** he uttered looking around, then an idea hit him when noticing a used cars business. **"Finally time to put disguise into use."** He said sneaking himself into the depot.

Meanwhile shortly after finishing school Sam and his father Ron drove up to the same place, luckily Sam had scraped enough grades and money so he could finally get a car. "I'm not talking to you for the rest of this thing." Came his voice sounding agitated from an earlier joke that hinted he was getting a brand new Porsche only to say that he wasn't.

"It was just a joke." Came his chuckling Father. "You can do it to me but you can't take it back? That's not how it works in the real world."

"That was on the same level as telling a kid there was no such thing as Santa Claus…its crushing defeat, and you have serious issues to pass that onto me."

"Will you just stop? Drag it out why don't you."

Sam looked around the place they arrived at shutting the car door behind him, "Hold on…hold on…w-where are we? The place where all cars come to die right? Because this what it looks like."

"It's your typical depot...d-do you even get out of your room anymore?"

"N-No –no you said half a car not half a piece of crap…"

Bumblebee watched from his spot among the cars as the Vehicons slowly drove by fortunately checking the road only and then going about their way. Bee sighed. **"Thank the maker…too close that time, I have to get the signal out soon."**

"Everything a man might want or need…" came the eccentric voice of the salesmen coming in too close that Bee couldn't just sneak away.

"I think I've seen this place on 60 minutes." Sam commented.

"**Scrap."** He expressed as he watched the boy look over all the cars with a judging expression of doubt, until he saw him that is.

"Hey…" Sam said walking towards him, placing his hand across the roof and looking inside, "This one ain't too bad..."

At first Bumblebee was sceptical, with given orders he was hoping he wouldn't buy him and just move on, but deeper still, he was hoping to get closer to humans this way, what he was able to find out on Earth interested him. Their buildings, their music, their behaviour, the activities they would engage in, On very rare occasions he was able to park up and watch commercials for video games and holiday locations, they were a weird race for sure but they also felt very familiar to him, being able to make contact with humans or not, at least he could take refuge somewhere and Optimus couldn't scold him for taking a decision that was necessary at least. _**"Hmm…maybe, laying low in a human's garage might not be such a bad idea…at least until I can get contact with the others." **_He thought.

Sam stepped into the car, getting comfy with the seats, "feels good." He said dusting of the interior as he looked at the back. "Needs a clean out, but these seats are untouched." He then stuck his head out the door, "Hey Dad come here, bring money!" He called.

* * *

><p>Back at the Witwicky home, Ellen was playing with Mojo for a short while waiting for Sam and Ron to get home, the whole day she was just playing pretend but surprisingly killed a lot of time. She was pressing the front side of her top whilst making 'beep' sounds, "Capt'n, Number Mojo, is showing signs of cooty-mala-tititistis, <em>cooty-mala-tititistis?! But the only cure is<em>… yes I know…In an elephants **butt**." She said in an over the top manner, as Mojo lay there in the sun basking.

She knelt, petting him a little too roughly, "Number Mojo! Stop panicking, I like you too much!" She then looked up to the sound of a loud engine as two cars came in driving one whose horn was blaring. "Sam…" Ellen said standing up as she ran over to the car he had. "You found the Ass." she said a little prematurely as he had just about stopped and stepped out.

he spluttered a laugh, "The what? Ass?"

"A-eee's you found the A-ees?" she said scuffing her feet that he laughed at her.

"Ah right, of course. sorry got some chewed up paper stuck in my ear." he humoured her as he gestured to the car trying to make it look more better than he thought it did, "So? Its perfection right? Right? **Vin**-tage make this is." He said to her.

She looked the car over tilting her head, "Its yellow." She said as she suddenly punched him in the leg.

"Ow, what the hell?" he said.

"Yellow car, no tag backs." She said crossing her fingers.

"Nice to see you too." He shrugged.

She walked around the front of the cat as she started petting and rubbing the hood, "Whatcha gonna call him?"

"Er…Car?" he said watching her hug it. "Stop hugging the damn thing, you'll rub off whatever's left of the paint, anyway you going to help me clean it out?"

"Cleaning? Again?" she questioned.

He snorted, "It is the daily routine we all have to participate in apparantly."

"Do I get anything for it?" she asked.

"Why do you always expect something in return?"

"You're getting paid for talking to me." She argued.

"Ah, touché." He said. "I don't like the fact that you listen."

"Someone sat on me once."

"**And **that you change the subject, do you have a duplex or something?"

"N-No…I'm a girl." She said.

He scoffed amusingly, "Fine. Look let's just clean this up alright." He passed her his hoody. "Just dust and shine up the front okay?" she looked the hoody over then at him, "Its fine it's old anyway. Only good for cleaning now."

She looked at the car. "Shiny…" she repeated awed.

"O-kay…"

Grabbing a couple of garbage bags and boxes Sam started cleaning out the car, looking for any surprises and getting rid of a lot of dirt and dust from inside. Ellen sat in front at the driver's wheel as she was easily entertained with it.

"Man, what has this guy been doing with this car?" Sam grumbled in the back. "Hey El, If you see little plastic bags with what looks like sugar inside don't touch it okay?...or needles...or, severed fingers."

she just nodded to herself, "It just needs some BLT." She sung.

"BLT? You mean TLC?" he scoffed.

"Th-That's what I s-said. Y-You hear backwards." She argued.

"Right, of course that's **all** me. You're **never **in the wrong." He rubbed his finger against the coating, "Rusted to hell though."

"Swear." She pointed out sounding a little uncomfortable with it turning into a regular thing.

"Sorry, but it is. Feels good on the inside but outside I'm wondering when the roof is going to peel off from going five miles an hour." He said.

_**"Stay...patience Bumblebee."**_Bee thought and for a moment Sam swore he felt the vehicle shudder.

Ellen nodded, "Maybe it is a little…not so much colour."

"Oh now you're starting to sound like the crooked salesmen." He placed his hands behind his head, "Well, I'm going to grab the vacuüm, just stay around here." he said a little fed up.

"You angry with me?"

He sighed, "No, it's not that, I'm going through a very bad stage in life it's called not giving a crap fever which can last six, seven years tops. So if I sound like that it's not towards you, it's towards the world and how I'm failing in it. Stop being so paranoid."

"Kay." She simply said.

"We're fine alright, buds or whatever." He walked away.

"Its fine if you are." she then said. "I…I don't need anyone."

"That…is just depressing. What's brought this up?"

She shrugged.

He wiped his face, "You need counselling…lots and lots of counselling." He said as he leant on the shoulder of the passenger seat, "Can't be this hopeless, you have to be as least thirteen to go into angst. Right now just be dumb and rude and stare at people you're not supposed to be staring at, spin around in circles or something."

She slightly laughed. "I…do like spinning."

"Is that it? That was the most motivational speech I have ever given without it sounding awkward or random. That's genuine and all you've got is that? Be moved for god's sake."

She shuffled. "Moving." She perked up as she looked over the dashboard then crossing her legs she held the steering wheel giggling to herself and started pulling it a little from left to right imitating the sounds of the engine, "Brrrr, brrr."

Sam rolled his eyes, "There ya go back to ignorant bliss." He said stepping out to grab a vacuüm.

Bee made himself reserved to the forced movement of his steering, _**"E-Easy short-stuff your twisting my peds..." **_

Her nose became suddenly irritated, "It smells in here." She stated looking at the radio, and the buttons were an instant interest as she looked over her shoulder and started twiddling her fingers then after a split second started pressing buttons on the radio in a pattern as though it were a musical instrument after a while the buttons refused to press down and were stuck, "Uh oh…" she said thinking she had broken it.

In reality, Bumblebee had grown annoyed by her constant poking.

"N-No…no-no-no...p-please don't be broke." He heard her plead. "Pl-Please…" she started to whimper.

**_"Smooth Bumblebee..."_**

"Sam'll tell me off…"

**_"Please don't leak..." _**he said as he came up with an idea and at this point couldn't avoid his playful personality, and seeing anyone upset didn't sit well with him, but instead of being forward and starting to speak, he manipulated the radio finding certain frequencies to give him the words. _"Ah, Ah, Ah you never said the magic word… Ah, Ah, Ah you never said the magic word…"_ a voice rang.

Ellen panicked at first slapping the thing to the sudden talk, but then thought into the sentence it said, "H-Hey…That's…from the dinosaur movie." She said to it wiping her face.

"_Usually one must go to a bowling alley, to meet a woman of your stature."_ It said this time.

She grinned, "That's from...I forgot the name." She said self-proclaiming the radio as a person now as she looked over her shoulder, "I got bored, so Sam let me watch his whole movie collection, now I know all the words." She thought to explain to it.

Bumblebee listened thoughtfully, she spoke to him but she had no idea of his identity. But to be spoken to was reliving seeing how he hadn't spoken to any being for two years.

"What else can you say?" she asked.

Though Bee thought to play her naïvety by speaking through a radio, he ceased as soon as he heard Sam return.

"Who are you talking to?" he said. "You got an imaginary friend I need to know about? Because then I'm going for triple pay." He said as he expected an answer but no. "Ellen?" he said looking around,

"Huh?" She frowned standing up as she hung her head out the window, "I did not!" she cried.

Sam jumped slightly holding his heart as he leant up against the car, "What is wrong with you?" he said mock seriously.

"N-Nothing." She blurted back.

"Well you're the lord of debate." He said sarcastically as he dipped his head into the car, "Have you been messing with this thing?"

"No..." she said in a nervous tone, poking him in the nose.

He rubbed his nose knowing she was lying but it didn't matter anyway, "Fine, you mind picking up that trash down by the other side, I'll clean the back."

"Why?" she asked.

"Why? Because your free child labour that's why." She folded her arms, "I **might** know where Moms stash of chocolate is if you just help me finish up?" He said temptingly.

"Okay." She said diving down onto the floor picking up stuff quickly, "Sam?"

"What?"

"How long is three months?"

"Well seeing what month we're in, its 92 days."

"And how many have went by?"

"95." He said.

Her heart raced but she sluggishly said. "Oh."

"This again? That was just how long the tour was. They'd be briefing involved as well so it might be another week till he comes to get you." he said most of which he just guessed as she dumped the trash on the floor. "Hey-hey-hey, trash in the trash bag thank you." he said.

"Sorry." She muttered, "So, not long now?"

"No."

"Hmm...could I go on your laptop again? Just to check the webby-cam again?" she then asked.

"Again? It's on 24/7 anyway, so you'll know. But I know one thing for sure that I'm finally getting rid of you, I stood on one of your plastic toys this morning messed my foot up good." He said.

She put on a pouted face. "Well…well, at least I don't look at p-pictures of nakie girls." She blurted.

Sam's cheeks turned a light shade of red, "How-how many times?! How many times?! Don't-look-in-the treasure-chest, don't touch my stuff at all."

"What kind of treasure chest is that?" she argued folding her arms.

"**My **treasure, alright?"

"Nakie girls lookin' like tigers hunting is treasure?" she said confused.

Sam face palmed, "Yes, just yes, we are **off** the subject now."

She shrugged, "You have a car now."

"Yep." He said continuing to clean the car out.

"You gonna use it?"

"Well no shit I'm going to use It." he said.

"It smells funny in here." She just said.

"…Yeah, I noticed too. I hope this thing wasn't involved in murder." He said.

Besides not being able to make a comment about how his interior smells, Bumblebee remained silent and undercover, until later in the early hours of the next morning…

* * *

><p>And it was about 2 am when he chose to do this, obviously when the whole house was sleeping, Ellen lay asleep on the floor instead of in bed, it just didn't feel comfortable to her since her old way of sleeping. She was a light sleeper as well anything that made a sound, a floor creak or an owl and she was wide awake, and this night she had trouble sleeping because of Sam's parents and their animalistic sounding snores. Burying her head into a pillow she rolled around kicking her legs up in frustration.<p>

But stopped abruptly when she heard the sound of an engine running and the loud sound of feet bashing against the wooden floorboards, she heard Sam yell in protest as he roared down the stairs.

Ellen rubbed her eyes tiredly from the lack of sleep, "S-Sam?" she said opening her door, she ran down the stairs as she heard Sam struggling to get his shoes on. Trying to keep up with what he thought was someone stealing his car, he darted out the door leaving it wide open, "Sam." Ellen called again following after him as she saw him get onto his bike and peddle like a mad man.

And without any thought, she just followed him, just running down the darkened street with faded orange glow of streetlights, "Sam! Don't leave!" she called watching him go down the road towards town. She just ran trying to keep sight of the bike.

She never realised how far she ran until she tripped falling onto her front, she lifted herself up as she brushed herself down, slightly whimpering as she looked at her grazed elbow. She looked around the lights didn't help the dark look any better. She had lost sight of Sam and now she got a little paranoid with every car or delivery truck that went by. "Sam?" she meekly whispered turning around a corner, "Wh-Where did you go?"

She folded her arms over her chest as she held in a gasp to a person she saw to the side, leaning up against the wall as his eyes followed her. She stared too starting to walk backwards. "U-Uh…Sam…" turning back to face the front she started to speed walk, "Sam…" she continued to whisper looking around, "Sam…S-Sam…" she felt tears form in her eyes as the silence made her scared, "I-I'm okay…" she tried to reassure, a loud crash sound was then heard like something falling over which was enough to spook her to start running. "Daddy!" she cried panting as she ran blindly shaking her head as she ran into a metal fence rebounding her back as she landed on her back. "Oof…o-ow…" she said rubbing her nose.

She then looked up as she saw a beacon of light, like a spotlight that brightly pierced the clouds and emanated a symbol of some kind. She let her mouth hang as she was drawn to it more than her urge to run, finding a small opening in the fence she squeezed herself inside trying to find the source of the light as an old train carriage blocked her view. "I know where I am." She said relieved but keeping wary as she heard the sound of barking dogs.

She peered behind the carriage as she gasped getting a small glimpse of the figure that sent that light but only briefly as the light blacked out, but as the figure turned she saw bright blue lights staring straight at her, she ducked back down breathing fast and panicked. In doing so she crawled under the carriage sitting on the track as she hid holding her knees.

She heard a loud thud as she saw the figures legs walking slowly towards the carriage, she shut her eyes tight placing a hand over her mouth as she shook uncontrollably, she then heard a crackling charging sound, watching it draw closer she shuffled back quickly in a panicked reaction but in doing so smacked into something hard and cold. Looking up, she saw a faceless tall metal giant, a Vehicon, he wasn't intentionally interested in her but briefly was as she smacked into him.

Before she could scream, a flash of blue and the Vehicon was blasted to the others side his chest forced open by the blast and engulfed with flames, she held her head as she started swaying back and forth, "U-h-hh-…N-No..." she whimpered as she was terrified to open her eyes.

"**Hey…Are you alright?"** she then heard, only as friendly beeps though.

She dared to open her eyes a little, greeted with large blue optics that retracted and spun in response, he had no mouth but it looked like he was offering a smile nonetheless. She couldn't speak just breathe fast, and hang her mouth open. Though she really wanted to touch those shiny optics.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Aw don't be scared Ellen *pet* *pet*. Did anyone notice my profile avatar and this story image? :D it was a commission done by RebArc on deviantart if you haven't seen her work why not? :( joke, but seriously, Ellen and Optimus look great i basically asked for her asking him a question and I gave her a very vague idea of what she looks like and got her perfect ^^ Man I wish I could suck out talent :P  
><strong>

**So please R + R, I think we'll be seeing Optimus real soon, and then the fun of writing will turn even more er, fun ^^'**


	4. Uneasy meetings

**Uneasy Meetings  
><strong>

This figure, being Bumblebee, offered a hand just to show his peaceful intent. Though she flinched backing up a little. He tilted his head as he watched her looked at his other hand, a gun that pointed to the sky, he slapped his free hand over his face as he transformed it back into a hand being completely distracted. He then dipped his head apologetically with a gentle whirl sound coming from him making her ease up a little. The sounds he made and his actions, made her grin a little, to her he looked like a big yellow puppy with those optics.

Both just staring at each other for a while, Bumblebee thought to not be out for this long as he looked around for the other Vehicon, he looked back at her as he waved at her in a friendly manner. She copied waving at him shyly.

"**You see? I won't hurt you."** he beeped but again she didn't catch a word he said. He then stood up as he gestured her to stand back as he transformed.

She had lost the ability to even shut her mouth as she looked over what was Sam's car. The corner of her lip twitched as she clapped her hands once in awe. The door then opened as she looked on sceptically again. **"Come on, we have to leave. Oh…how to get you to understand?"**

Then, he remembered his radio. _"Don't dawdle, hurry up!"_

Upon hearing the familiar line Ellen stood herself up as she walked cautiously towards the car getting herself in, Bee placed the seatbelt around her, being able to take control of his own body now. **"Well, that was easier than I thought."** He continued to beep talking to her directly. **"Now to try and get Sam, he…WON'T be as easy to reassure."**

Ellen tilted her head to his speech, it sounded like static English, some things she tried to work out, like but what was clear to her was names. "Sam?" she said quietly. "Don't really know what you're sayin' but I heard Sam."

Bee was silent for a moment, **"Y-Yes, yes I did say Sam." **He said excitedly, a little too excitedly for Ellen as he sounded as though he shrieked.

But even by the sound, she understood the pitch of the first two words, "Yes? You said yes?"

"**Yes!" **

"Yes." She repeated snickering.

"**It…must be by the pitch, I've researched that here you recognise positive and negative by how certain things are said. E-Especially younger humans when you get a better boost to learn and grasp languages better than adults."** Bee said. **"Th-That's, what I've read up anyway."**

She titled her head frowning. "W-What?" she said not getting a word then.

"**Let's see…your name is Ellen right?"**

"Ellen…N-No, that's my name."

"**Good. Now my name, is Bumblebee…Bumblebee…Bee…Bee" **he repeated.

"B…Bu…Bee? Like a, Bumblebee? Bumblebee? That you?"

"**Yes!"** he called. **"Ha. Never knew that I could improvise communication this is great, Well we'll have to hide out until morning until I try and sneak back to Sam's house. You'll have to stay where you are for a while. Yes? Ellen? St-aaayy? St-aaayy?"**

"S-S-S…St-ay?" she repeated making Bee laugh.

"**Teaching frequency language like this, it's strange." **He said.

"Stay…" Ellen repeated sinking herself into his seats. "Then go back to Sam's right?"

"**Right." **

She had a lot to say still, and despite being a little afraid still it didn't stop her and so she asked him a lot of things, "Why did you shoot that other robot? Was he…bad? Why didn't he have a face? Do all cars turn into you? How come you beep? Do you have Bumblebee's where you come from?"

Bumblebee listened but couldn't answer without confusing her or it taking about a decade before explaining all that, he grew frustrated not being able to easily communicate. Especially the question of how he couldn't speak like the usual, but she was a dumb kid she didn't understand that sometimes her words could be offensive, so he could look past that. By the time she could ask anything else though, she was out of it and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Now by morning. "Oh shit…oh shit-shit-shit." Sam frantically hissed holding his head as he walked up and down his living room. After coming back from the police station after a misunderstanding that he was a criminal whilst following Bumblebee, Ellen was missing from her bed, his parents were down the station demanding an investigation as Sam stayed at home in case she came back. "She-she must've followed me, wh-what if she came across that thing too? What if it ate her? Why didn't I lock the door?! Why did you follow me, y-you stupid kid. U-Urgh, no I-I, forgot to lock the door. Shit."<p>

Mojo started barking at the door, "Mojo! Get in the kitchen." He called as when he turned he got a glimpse of outside, a flash of yellow and a growling engine made him throw himself on the floor as his runaway Camaro reappeared inches away from his door. "Fuck…my life." He hissed.

"Sam?" he then heard.

"Ellen?" he said peering up out the window to see her hand wave from the passenger seat. "Wait, what if that's not her, what if he's manipulating her bones and muscles, like some kind of body snatcher."

Mojo growled at him.

"But what if she's not?" He said grabbing a small plant pot containing a small-sized cactus, then he threw himself out of the front door wielding the plant pot.

"Hi Sam." Ellen said casually as his stance wasn't fitting the mood.

"The hell are you doing?!" he hissed. "Get out of El Diablo's demon party car, you don't know what it can do!" He said panicked, always moving on his feet.

"**I'm NOT an 'it' Sam."** Bee protested.

Sam froze dropping his cactus, "I-It can talk…it talks, p-please tell me I'm on TV and this is just a prank."

"**Wait. How much can you understand?"** Bee asked casually.

"W-What does that matter?!" he yelled.

"**Sam, please just calm down, I'm not a thing I'm not something that's going to harm you. I'm just someone else sharing this universe with you who . Who from my own fault has made you two witnesses to my existence?"** He said

He breathed deeply, "…and what does that have to do with **anything**? Look just, give me back shorty and go on your way. I-I-I just wanted a car, pick up girls who are so upset and vulnerable at the time that they sleep with me for the sake of their own guilt! **This**, is **not **that!"

"**I can't leave you now, you two are witnesses, and no offense but how do I know I can take your word that you won't say anything about me?"**

Sam smacked his forehead out of how ridiculous this situation was, "And who the hell is going to believe me? This isn't the dark ages where you can call someone a witch and its instant fact."

"**I can't risk it. And it's not my call, I need advice from someone else who knows what to do."**

"Wait…there are more of you?!"

"**Yes not as many as you would think though. But we're not the hostile ones, we're only here for a source of Energon and to protect any planet that is invaded by the factor we fight against."**

"Factor? So there are other ones who are going to harm us?"

**"If they had their way, this planet would be conquered there's recently there's been news of Con attack in one of your other countries but your government is not titling it as that. Look-look, the longer we stay here the more time I'm exposed, if you'd just come with me it'll all be explained."** He said.

At this point Ellen stepped out of the car to the nervous tone she could pick up on and ran over to Sam grabbing onto his legs. "But, go where?" Sam asked.

"Sam? Wh-what's he sayin'?" she asked.

"**The signal you saw yesterday, I was calling the others they'll be here tonight but spread out to avoid detection."**

He stood froze, "I, I don't know. I don't know what's going on, or If this is real. When I saw you stand last night. That was you?"

"**Yes. Sam you don't have to beli-"**

"N…No!" Ellen suddenly barked. "W-We can't go, I-I have to wait here. I have to wait here!"

"**Sam calm her down." **Bee said checking around him.

"I-I just watch her, I'm not her keeper." He argued.

A sound of grinding tyres got him on high alert, **"Sam, Ellen, get in now!"** Bee cried as he did so out of fright. Skidding off he bumped the Vehicon.

Ellen held onto Sam for dear life as she shook, being forced to leave Sam's house as did Sam have to leave with the worry of his parents. He placed an arm around her, "Its…it's alright, we'll get back don't worry." He tried to reassure.

"I-I have to-to go back. Help me Sam." She pleaded.

"Its…It's not safe for us to be at home. Bumblebee is just looking out for us. And for his own people. I think." She buried her head in his shirt as she gave a few whacks to his chest. "O-Ow…Just…think of this as a day out. An adventure."

"No it's not!"

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know what to tell you." he said as they drove down the road to escape the Vehicon.

* * *

><p>It was night-time as they drove to an out rural area, Ellen's eyes were dry from tears as she made dry cough sounds. <strong>"This…this is the place."<strong> Bumblebee said looking to the sky. Sam patted Ellen's back as he sat there waiting. **"I'm sorry I've done this to you."**

"That's okay. You can't avoid humans forever, we were just the ones to be there at the time. To be honest I don't mind so much, I'm not really completely sure what I want to do with my life." He said.

"**Where I come from, we didn't really have much of a choice. You have a lot to choose from Sam."**

"Well, thanks for saying that I guess."

"**I don't know how to tell Ellen how sorry I am. She's frightened enough I guess with all this."** He said.

"It's not that. She's waiting for her Dad to come home and get her, she's only staying with me and my family until he does."

"**Oh? Why? Wh-what does he do?"**

"Does it matter?"

"**No…I'm, just curious to what humans do, as work. That's all." **He argued shyly.

"He's a soldier and he had dedicated himself to a mission lasted a year, and had to be finished, it was really bad timing as well." He rambled off subject as he shook his head, "Ellen just doesn't want to miss the chance to see him come through the door. It doesn't feel like that much of a big deal to me. But hey my parents are always there so I guess I wouldn't."

"**Oh, I understand."**

"You know it's funny, the longer I'm around you I can kind of get your way of speech." He said shaking his head as he got onto the ground. "Sorry about that freak out back there? I-I'm just flustered. I should be smarter to realise that if you wanted to hurt us you would've done that already."

"Daddy told me that Cats do something worse." Ellen then spoke slowly. The first words she had said since they had left.

He scoffed a chuckle to her suddenly speaking, "he's not a cat, he's a…well he's clearly…metallic…and some form of…visitor." He said.

"A robot." Ellen said.

"Well yeah, but is that right?" He cupped a hand around his mouth, "For all we know that might be a racial term." He whispered.

"What's that?" she said.

"It means, you just, never mind. Bumblebee." He then said. "I know you said you have trouble explaining but, why were you posing as a car? Why are you here? And why were you posing as a car? S-seriously what's with the car thing?"

"**Right."** He said as he figured a way to try to use sign language to help as well, **"To answer the first, I'd have to explain with the second, I am from a planet named Cybertron understand so far?"**

"Ye…yes." Sam said as Ellen looked puzzled.

"**Well, great. But I don't think Ellen does."**

"She'd probably not want to hear it, even if she does I'll explain later."

"**Oh alright, well you see after some conflict our planet plunged itself into war, between two factor, Autobots and Decepticons. I'm part of the Autobots, we strive for freedom, for a society not based on violence, but for equality." **

"I-I'm sorry Bee, but what has that got to do with now."

"**Well I'll get to that if you'll let me finish." **

"Heh, s-sorry." He said.

"**During the War both sides starting hiding their resources on worlds such as these, specifically Energon, which is our life blood, not just that but it fuels most of our equipment our power sources. Its life itself."** He said as Sam nodded.

"Let me guess, there's some here." He said.

"**Right, but unlike most worlds we've visited, this one has the largest deposit we've ever seen. And from what we gather the Decepticons will stay here until your world is sucked dry. While there here there a threat to you."**

"Well let's just say there here for the Energon."

"**We think that eventually they'll just conquer this world, seeing how our world is-"** he stopped as his attention turned to the sky. **"Sam, look."** He said.

Looking up to what looks like several meteors separating in different directions to each other, "I...I, I mean, holy mother."

"**Come on, I know who's the closest."**

"Er, Bee? They won't know about us will they?" he said.

"**N-No not exactly."**

"Great, fan-tastic. We are going to get the most alien death stares right now. And we didn't even do anything."

"**It won't be like that. Well, not with who we're going to see." **

"So, there are going to be some who won't really be that great in seeing us."

"**Let's just go." **

Driving down up to a quiet country road Sam and Ellen overlooked the high beam headlights that approached Bumblebee from ahead and slightly panicked that he was driving towards them in thinking he would collide but saw he then turned into a ditch in the road as Bumblebee drove onto the grass so many metres away from what could now be seen as a long-nosed truck.

Sam dared not to think how high this one stood in comparison to Bumblebee, "He's…friendly right?"

"**Optimus treats life equally."**

"So, is that a yes or no? And is that a Latin name or something?"

"**W-Well, you'll see what kind of bot he is when we speak."**

Bumblebee flashed his headlights to give an all clear signal as Optimus transformed, he stood tall as Sam feared, and Ellen slightly backed up into Sam grasping his arm.

"**It's alright, you can step out now."** Bee told them as Sam picked up Ellen sliding out of the car. Putting her down beside him as she grabbed onto his leg, not that she was shy but because she was terrified.

* * *

><p><strong>NA Alright we're moving along nicely ;) Please R + R  
><strong>


	5. He's Scary

**A/N it begins...**

* * *

><p>"Bee said he's cool so what's your problem?" Sam whispered to her as Bumblebee transformed approaching Optimus.<p>

Ellen looked up to said Prime, looking over his expression, "He looks angry." She whispered back to Sam. "It's scary."

Sam sceptically nodded agreeing with her, "Yeah…I-I guess that's kind of our doing." He said finding reason in her answer as he turned nervous.

"Bumblebee…" Optimus started firmly glancing at the two humans making Sam freeze as Ellen squeaked in fear. "An explanation is in order." He finished.

"**R-Right."** Bumblebee said**. "You see, Vehicons were pursuing me when they discovered me intruding their Energon mine, I got...too reckless. But then I hid among vehicles that humans buy and I happened to be the car the human wanted and w-well-"**

Sam and Ellen watched as Bumblebee turned nervous himself in speech flailing his hands around as Optimus folded his arms listening patiently. "I-I think Bee did something bad." Ellen whispered over the conversation.

"Well yeah, weren't you listening?"

She shook her head, "He's not going to yell at him is he?"

"Don't think he would, not where we are anyway." He replied.

Ellen looked around as she couldn't see passed her own feet only the headlights and darkened outlines of the two bots. "I-Its dark out here."

"We have **two giant **robots over there, I think we're fine if any hitchhikers hold us up." Sam then froze again as Optimus looked directly at them approaching the two. "Ohmycrapohmycrap." He announced hearing those earth-shaking feet pace towards them.

Sensing how nervous Sam was didn't help Ellen any as she grabbed onto the hip of his pants as she buried her head into his leg trying to hide.

Both were now at the edge of their feet as the other pair of feet came to an ominous halt, Sam looked up breathing heavily, "Er…H-Hi? H-Hey did you see the sky? talk about dark right?" he plucked up the courage to say.

Optimus knelt, Sam tensed up slightly as Ellen just hid, poorly. "Greetings, My apologize for the unwilling first contact the two of you have made, I assure you we had not expected any engagement with Decepticons would extend into your cities. Forgive my scout, he only did what felt necessary to his mission and to his wellbeing, for that I am grateful."

_"Well...he is polite. that's something." _Sam thought. He cleared his throat picking himself up as he tried to focus this as just a normal everyday conversation. "R-Right." He accidentally squeaked. "U-Urgh I mean **right**. Sooo…Bee said about the Energon deposits. So you've just been in hiding? Until you've discovered other Decepticons?"

Ellen peered from behind Sam looking Optimus over again, he was intimidating sure but his optics lured her, like the glow of christmas lights that was nice enough as she loudly blurted by accident. "Whatsyourname!?"

"**Ellen**…" Sam hissed.

Optimus immediately shot his gaze on her as she hid shyly again to his stare. He bared her no expression it was just flat, yet concentrated, but the glow of his optics extended like the light of a lighthouse. "My Name is Optimus Prime." he told her as she turned bright red to his direct attention, as well as his commanding tone.

"Uh-h-h…o-okay! S-Sorry!" She spluttered thinking for some reason that she was going to be scolded for asking.

"Will you stop grabbing onto my pants like that?" Sam hissed again before wiping his brow. "E-Er sorry about her, she's er, **young**. S-So yo-you were saying?"

He nodded, "At the moment we are just lying in wait until we find the others."

"Then what? I mean without a place to stay."

He dipped his optics, "Indeed. From Bumblebee's report I have given much thought. We need to speak with your government however as Bumblebee has reported numerous times, your race is very fearful of indifference."

"R-Right…so you'll have to contact them as peacefully as possible."

He shut his optics, "Currently we cannot form any kind of alliance until we tend to a most urgent matter."

"Urgent?"

"Recent intelligence has shown that the Decepticons possess a weapon. With given evidence that the Decepticons will remain on your planet, what concerns me is this weapon that they speak of. It has great significance." He then looked at Bumblebee.

"**The only thing I've gathered about it, is that it's 'capable of scaling mountains'."** he said.

Sam gulped as Ellen just looked on frustrated that she didn't really understand. "But why would they want to use something like that? You guys seem pretty up to date with technology if they wanted to destroy us, they probably could right?"

"While it is true that such a weapon could outmatch us. I believe they intend to use it as a way of moving an obstacle." He said.

"What obstacle?"

He looked to the skies, "We should not ideally waste time with explanations, I shall explain fully in due time."

_"Really?" _Sam thought frustrated as he sighed. "So, what now?"

"First, we must rendezvous with the others, I have sent a message to other Autobots asking for assistance. whether they respond is another question, We can only wait, and hope that they do." He turned to Bee. "Bumblebee, we shall cover more ground if we divide."

Sam perked up suddenly as he turned to Bee, "Come on then Bee." He said eagerly as Bee was tempted into this also.

"**What R-Really?"**

"Sure. You're alright." He said grinning.

**S-Sure. Let's go." **He said eagerly as he transformed Sam jumping into the driver's seat. **"Now, what's the REAL reason you suddenly liked me?"**

"It's either you or domo-arigato Mr Roboto over there." He said understanding his eagerness.

As they sped off…

Optimus shook his head to how fast that outcome had turned as he remembered something looking around for the second human as she stood behind him with linked hands kicking the dirt up as her head looked straight ahead from where Sam used to be her eyes dead in appearance, she froze to the fact that in all the excitement he kind of just, left. And not just that, she was left, with 'him'.

Optimus followed her vision noticing her problem as he looked down on her, "Are you, in any form of distress?" he asked.

She leapt back in surprise to such a loud baritone as she tried to pick out words she could understand, 'are you' and 'distress' …stress. And she shook her head but stuttered words when speaking to the titan, "N-…I…S…he..."

He looked quizzical at her, "We are departing now, I think it best if you accompany us as well…" he looked her over noting her anxious stance, "We are in a hurry."

"Sam…h-he left." She played with her fingers, "I'm not allowed to be on my own." She told him.

"Perhaps it was not his suited role, that is, as long as he and Bumblebee are together." He said lightly.

"He's allowed to be on his own but only until eleven…" She said.

he titled his head intrigued, "I understand, here your age signifies set limits." He knelt making her flinch a little, "Well then…Was your name Ellen?" She nodded slowly a little nervous he knows her name now. "It would be best that we keep you both safe until we can find a place to keep you far from harm."

"I-I want to go home now." She said frightened as he bared a look of sympathy.

"Home is where we feel most…safe." He tried to say with simple reassurance.

She nodded a little shaken, "Yeah, 'safe'…I want to go home." She repeated.

This was difficult, she seemed to have a set goal and Optimus feared she would be noncompliant to the situation she couldn't understand. "Just endure a little longer, we will get you both home, in time." He said.

"B-But I have to go now, I need to wait for my Dad." She said.

He decided to get her to focus on something else as her body shook a little, "How old are you little one?"

She looked up slightly as she slowly lifted a hand, "f-five."

His optics flickered to such a young age, it was barely any time to him, merely nano seconds. He then stood up to his full height, this would be more difficult than he first thought. "After this conflict, I will take you home myself, understand?" he told her hoping this would urge her to be patient.

She nodded, "O-Okay." She said walking forward, "Bee and Sam are gone." She reminded him.

"They are young, they get distracted." He said. She played with her fingers, "Then with reason, you will travel with me." He said as her eyes slightly widened.

"With...Y-Y-You? B-But-But..." she stuttered.

"Stand back." he warned.

She did so, standing **way** back then she needed to as she watched him transform, looking over his alt form, "I'm…" she mumbled looking at the door and the step almost half her height above the ground as she grimaced the thought as the passenger door opened, "I can't…" she started to say as the step suddenly shifted into smaller plating forming a smaller yet longer set of steps until it touched the ground, low enough for her walk onto.

"I can move individual plating beyond its capability." He explained.

She lightly smiled though only slightly as she looked it over again, "I…"

"We must use this time wisely." He told her.

She felt like getting upset, this was all too much for her, she wanted to go home she didn't understand why she couldn't. She was told to stay with a family she barely knew. She was told to stay with a yellow muscle car, and now she's been told to stay with a big rig. She didn't know where she was supposed to be. she slightly froze, her breathing becoming unsteady, she felt as though her insides were becoming bloated, her feet didn't feel like they were touching the ground.

her breathing then became short, she felt hot, and started to sweat, she was having a panic attack and she didn't even know, noticing the sound of her raspy breathing he transformed back as he knelt to her, saying calmly. "Induce cooling systems, slowly."

she slightly whimpered to this sudden overshadowing he was providing. he looked himself over as he carefully stood up taking a step back. "I am sorry. that was a foolish error." he told her. "Now, Inhale slowly."

she looked confused as it didn't help, "i-i-i-inhal-llee?" she stuttered.

he very briefly recalled Bumblebee's report regarding human anatomy, "**breathe**...slowly."

She tried to, it was slow shaky breathing but she tried. "Now, what is it you fear?" he asked with experience of soldiers who had anxiety attacks, or a level of stress that caused system shutdown on the field he had an idea. "Is it myself? or is it that you feel as though you are being taken away from what provides you with comfort?"

"A-Am I...going...to, explode!?" she stuttered.

"No. you are not going to erupt." he told her firmly.

"I-I'm...scared...I want my Dad...My Mom...Why...is...everyone...telling me...that I have to...do, this?"

"It's alright to feel, confusion when you are never given answers." he thought into it trying to understand. "I believe, that your caregivers, previous or current believe they know what is appropriate for you. for your own health, lifestyle. do you understand?" she nodded a lot still finding it hard to breathe as she looked to the floor.

"Focus on me." he told her then pointing to his optics. "On my optics."

she did so as she nodded again, "B-Blue..."

"That is correct." he told her as her breathing slowly started to go back to normal.

"I-I like...blue."

"...Yes, I believe from any perspective that a color would be appealing."

She placed her hand on her forehead feeling hot, but her breathing had returned to normal, "I thought...I was going to..."

"But you did not. You did well." he said but felt general concern even after she was alright.

"Why, did I?" she said.

"Sometimes fear can appear in an instant." he told her.

She looked confused, "I-I'm sorry."

His spark felt a twinge of guilt. "It was no fault of yours, you do not need to apologize. We all have moments where situations are out of our control and it can come out in different ways." he then looked himself over again. "May I, approach you?" he asked gently.

She nodded slowly as he approached in the same manner. "It is alright to be afraid. Even when explained you can still be afraid."

But despite her fears, something pushed her as she spoke up, "But, I need to do it anyway." she told him.

"I am going to Transform, can you continue on?" he asked.

she thought to herself, then she frowned as she gave a nod. starting again Optimus transformed and she stepped into the cab, maybe it was because it was the only way to get home, but she just carried on, even without knowing why.

Getting in, she sat in the middle of the seat, as she crossed her legs, there was so much space around her, that she had to hold herself to how scary this situation was for her, then a seatbelt came over her as she squeaked in surprise and she felt movement as he started driving the only thing she could see was the top of the dash-board, only barely. "Mm…" she muttered resting her chin in her hand a slight sniff sound coming from her. She thought to speak but every time she opened her mouth she shrunk back into herself holding her hands. "Op-Op-Optimus?"

"Yes?"

"Wh-where…we going?" she asked.

"We reached Intel that Megatron is in route to this planet, no doubt to take up primary base here, for the purpose to mine Energon, something we are rapidly low on and is essential for our survival." He explained though she drew a blank.

"E-Er…Meg…Ene…?"

"My apologize, I will explain more simply, our race was at War, we still are in a different sense except it is spread to other worlds specifically yours…"

Ellen raised her hand with another hand gripping it with the utmost urgency as this was something she had heard before and had an answer she wanted him to hear, "That's a big fight, where you keep doing it until your run out of everything?"

"Your statement is closer to the truth then you may realise." He grimaced.

She shrugged, "Dad just said it a few times. He was 'behind enemy lines' for three thousand years."

"Thousand? I am not familiar with Earths units of time but I am sure of human life span and it does not extend to thousands." He said.

She blushed a little to her error, "no-no-n-no, i-I meant m-months, y-you didn't hear right…" she spouted defensively and stopped feeling her cheeks heat up, "He's at a base, in Q-Qa-Qatar. It's called, SOCCER."

"SOCCENT." He corrected.

She thought for a second, "Y-eah that sounds better." She tilted her head, "But I thought you were an alien?" she said questioning his knowledge of the base.

Despite her lack of literal terms she was simple to decipher, "Bumblebee has been following your broadcast systems for any sign of Decepticon activity, he picked up on recent information in that area." And he stopped there.

"Oh, okay." She said. "Was, it, bad?" she asked nervously.

By her tone he didn't want to alarm her. "The information was, inconclusive." He said.

"What's that mean?"

"For a better definition, neither conclusion nor result."

Her face fell biting her lip a little, "I need to go home." She persistently said.

"It is not safe." He told her simply.

She turned slightly hostile, "I-I don't…care…I need to wait for Daddy. He might call me."

In fear of inducing another attack he tried to focus on a subject she was only interested in, "…I presume he has been absent for a long duration of time?"

"I want him to come home." She said sadly.

"Be patient, I will return you home, and until then try to remain calm."

"I-I'm scared." She said curling up.

He turned his focus to the road but thought into what he could say to reassure her, it wasn't her fault she was here but it had been many years since he had looked after a young being, let alone a human. Not since Bumblebee did he have any experience.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile half a mile ahead of them was Bee and Sam having a good time it seemed and oblivious to the world. "Bee, I have a feeling you're not just harbouring us around just to make yourself ethically guiltless free." He said suspiciously.<p>

"**I'm still trying to understand how you can understand me."**

"Probably because I have a friend who might as well be talking gibberish because I've translated him for years." He joked.

"**I'm not talking gibberish." **Bee argued a little offended.

"No-No, I didn't mean, sorry I-I get a little ahead of myself when I get going."

"**I know, I've heard you." **

"Nice, does that mean we're even on who can offend who?" he said.

"**Maybe."**

"Now, I'm guessing you guys have trust issues?"

"I**t's not that we're distrusting it's just that we can't take any risks while we try and find others."**

"So trust issues." He confirmed. "Fantastic so much for 'friendship is magic' huh?"

"**Come on, we've went through eons of Decepticon and mistrust, its nothing personal we just want to be sure." **

"I guess it's understandable, if TV has taught me anything the government doesn't go easy on aliens even friendlies, I guess you'll have to wait for someone to vouch for you before you can come forward to them." He said. "I'll keep as less suspicious as I can."

"**Thanks." **It was a long silent moment before he spoke again, **"Hey Sam?"**

"What?"

"**Weren't you supposed to be 'babysitting' Ellen?" **he asked as he made a hiss through his teeth.

"…S-hit! We left her, we left her. Y-you didn't think to mention this now?"

"**Me? You can't dump your responsibilities on me Sam. First you bring her along when tracking down me because I'm 'stealing' myself I would've thought after that mistake you would've been more careful." **he said.

"First of all I did not **bring** her along…I…forgot to lock…the front door…**second**, when it comes to being a group and the parents aren't around, you take care of your juniors alright? Be it not a great time or not, we all pitch in so you're just as guilty as I am." He placed his face in his hands.

"**That doesn't, make any sense."**

"Dammit…Dammit…kids are like abandoned dogs, she will **remember **that we just left. Between the ages 4 to 8 are the most crucial times of development I...think. freud said it or...something...And I've wrecked through that like, vultures on a carcass."

"**That's how you describe it? Also, what's a vulture?" **

"You-you going to turn around then?" he asked.

"**Relax, Optimus wouldn't have left her he's more focused than me any day. Besides he may not look it but he has a great regard for a lot of beings, even if he knows them or not, he'll help them in any way he can." **He said.

"Are you sure, she'll be alright with him?" he said with doubt.

"**To be honest…I'm not completely sure."** He said awkwardly as Sam face palmed, but then something started flashing.

"What was that?" Sam asked.

"**Hmm, scanners picking up on another landing, it might be Ratchet, or maybe Optimus' message reached someone. Let's check it out." **

"So, you were the first one here right?"

"**Yes, I've been on Earth for two years now scouting out this place, learning about your culture, behaviour how your system works. It's just little things."**

"Little things huh? Is that how you see us?" he pondered. "So, 'Megatron', with that kind of name he's a legit nice guy right?" he commented sarcastically.

"**Make fun of him sure, but he's a real threat Sam. He's the reason we went into War, why our planet is not even livable anymore. And why I can't..." ** he stopped before he turned bitter.** "We try to find as much Energon as we can, and it's what we fight for now whoever has the most is the winner in the end. But without a home and a productive source of Energon…we'll only survive for so long."**

"Damn…that's pretty sad. how long do you think you'd have to stay on Earth for?"

"**Who knows, could be years Earth is one of the largest planets where Energon was stored after the War."**

"Hey er, if it means anything, to me you guys can stay on Earth. Make it your home I mean." He said as Bumblebee hummed in appreciation. "Well, you know, I-I guess I'll just have to put up with you, but just remember that you cost me four G's."

"**Slavery is a bad thing on our world as well Sam." **He noted lightly.

"Well shit, and I thought you'd be an ignorant alien." He said.

* * *

><p>Ellen slumped into the chair sighing a little as she was hypnotized by the turn of the steering wheel, "Erm…uh…" She stuttered still a little unsure of him and still frightened.<p>

"You can speak freely, no need to be diffident."

She slightly frowned in lack of understanding and just went with disagreeing, "N-No I'm not."

Telling by her tone alone was easier if sometimes not difficult. "Do you understand the sentence?"

"Yes." She responded huffily. "I-I'm not…silly."

"That is not what I implied." He reassured.

She slightly blushed embarrassed, "I…Mm, y-you mean you weren't thinking that?" she said.

"You are still in learning, what you refer to is an intellectual understanding, but you do assess what is spoken and familiarise yourself with previous conversations." He said.

She held her head, "my-my head hurts." She said in discomfort. "N-Not from you." she said panicked.

"Keeping up with my dialog is difficult." He said lightly, "I will not be offended."

Though she laughed a little, she wasn't sure why but it sounded like a joke. "You are, a l-little wordy…it's weird…or maybe everyone talks to me dumb-ly." She said as she gripped the seatbelt, "O-Oh, I-I'm so-sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"Erm…Well."

"May I ask something?"

"S-Sure…"

"I asked this previously, and you do not need to answer but, do you fear me?" he asked.

She played with her fingers, "You won't be mad?"

"No."

"A…A little." She admitted.

"Is there any reason for this?"

"You sound a little, angry." She said covering her face with her hands just in case.

Well, he had never heard of that one before not as bluntly anyway but listened, "Anything else?"

"Maybe…a little bossy. Your tall, that's cool but it's a little scary. And…"

"And?"

"You have…guns." She whispered.

"…that is understandable. Force is something to fear if abused." He told her trying to sound as soft as possible to perhaps calm her. "But please understand, that I or any other Autobot will not harm you or any native being on this planet."

"O-Okay, cool." She simply said.

He lightly chuckled to himself as to explain this part was new to him, "Now, about the first points, those traits come when you are commanding so many."

Her ears perked up, "Co-mmanding? Like, an army?" she asked.

"That is correct. I lead the Autobots."

"Ohhh…" she said understanding. "So it's your job to sound angry."

The sounds of his engine died down a little with that given answer, "I, think you are misunderstanding the tone." He said thoughtfully. "As for my build, it merely represents equal strength against the Decepticons. Among friends I am nothing to fear."

"…Friends…nothing, to fear." She repeated.

"So with that understanding, do you fear me now?"

"No. Not so much now." she said lightly smiling but she couldn't help but be a little scared of him still as he mentioned before you can still be afraid even with an explanation.

"Hm. Well then, we shall continue to find the others, however I must ask that you coöperate if I tell you to do something if it jeopardises your wellbeing or our mission."

"I-I can do that." she said skeptically.

"Good." She then wiped her eyes as they were half closing themselves and opening again. he noticed her constant eye rubbing, the droopy head and the shuttering eyes, "Are, you in need of recharge?" he asked.

"Like a battery?" She shrugged but then slightly pouted. "N-No, don't need it. I'm not-murtel."

quickly deciphering human language... "Nocturnal." He corrected as she grunted. "If you are, know that you can." He told her though she answered with the same reply before staring at the floor.

"But I'm…not…though…" she still argued stubbornly despite her attack earlier almost completely draining her.

However it was a good two minutes until her head rested on her chest, as she took hold of the seatbelt, nuzzling her cheek into it using it as a pillow, in the end she did fall asleep. "Very overdue it seems." Optimus noted feeling the light brush of her cheek on the seatbelt and sigh was a good sign to show her level of stress was subsiding slowly. he took notice of his scanners, "A signal. not far from my position."

* * *

><p>About an hour and a half later of going along the road, Ellen felt a sudden halt as she felt her body pulled forward but just moaned slightly as she turned herself onto her other side. "Ellen." Optimus called.<p>

"No-oo…" she mumbled.

He sighed to himself it was hard to ask for a human to comply with them when said human could hardly define the word, but he thought, this couldn't be that difficult, he has dealt with Bumblebee, and at times he was a hand full to start with, but even he was older than her in comparison, he was more closer to Sam's age.

But his race were practically made to adapt, this is just another scenario. He just simply had to, learn. "Ellen, we have arrived at an area another Autobot is located in." he argued.

"Mmm…No, I want…want chicken…nuggets…" she babbled.

This time he thought to speak a little louder, testing how she would respond, "The longer we remain idle the more time we take-"

"And I gotta get home!" she cried forcing her body up as she tugged on the door handle.

"Wait!"

Having not expecting her to manually force his door open, his reaction was slow as she threw herself forward she fell flat on her face on the ground, thankfully being a grassy layout, but would still hurt immensely to her. He reversed quickly and transformed just as fast as he knelt beside her, hovering a hand but not wanting to touch her in this state. "Are you…?" he started to ask.

As what turned from a small whimper turned to a high shrieking sound as he held a hand over his audio receptors, "H-Hurt…" he finished looking at his hand. "When I have thought to have much experience, and then I encounter an unpredictable little one like you." he noted lightly to her as she howled in response. "This may alert the area." He added looking around he felt conflicted, he didn't want to pick her up in case he induced harm, he wasn't sure of what humans socialized about but he had to converse something to calm her down. "Little one. Ellen? you have to stand up."

"It hurts!" she wailed.

"Yes, pain receptors unfortunately are...one part of what makes us sentient." He said rubbing the front of his helm, "Try to endure." He then said not the best thing to say as she just wailed louder, looking her over and only sceptically hovering a finger around her limbs, "Are you damaged? Any breakage?"

"I'm not broke! It just hurts!" she screamed making him back away slightly.

"Ellen, please try to stand. Physical pain such as this hurts but it's only temporal. It is just a defense mechanism necessary for survival." With no luck she kept her head plastered to the floor.

"S-Sam…D-Daddy…" she whimpered.

He shook his head regrettably. "I'm afraid I am neither." He said regrettably unable to bring her comfort the way these beings mostly likely would, he looked around identifying the area, "I must do something. she can't self-grieve as would she if she were fully developed." he said to himself as he then heard something, a sort of chattering sound, the sound belonged to a furry creature chirping away as it climbed down from a tree, his optics looked side to side in anticipation that he may have found a solution he was able to provide without risk of harming her, "Ellen. Have you observed many of your native species before?" He then asked in an acting light tone.

She lifted her head, "W-What?" she said to him tears down her face as his optics twinge to that look alone of hurt that he could of prevented.

He then pointed towards the tree ahead of them, "A small organic." He confirmed as she looked to the side of her, watching a squirrel curiously she sat herself up peering at the animal.

"It's…Its cute." She said wiping her eyes then standing up brushing herself down, she lightly smiled at Optimus as he did so too a little sceptically but still there.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently.

"It hurt. But not much now." She said looking to the floor. She then slightly reached out a hand in front of her as she watched the squirrel run back up the tree. "I think he went to bed."

Looking at her rub her arm he asked for her attention, "I will take blame for this. I alerted you."

"But I did 'endure' right?" she said lightly.

He was about to speak then stopped rethinking, asking her to endure. But she was no soldier. She shouldn't be required to have a state of mind, which most of his people had now. He had almost forgot what usual social protocols were in a different sense to being more sympathetic and sensitive towards small children, but as much as he would like to offer this he couldn't let his guard down in a world he was so unfamiliar with but still, he was offering her mixed messages. "You did endure. Very well, but…"

"But what?"

He thought to say, 'you do not, need to endure, it is alright to feel pain and to express your distress'. But it was hard to do so, offering advice was a recipe for admiration leading to friendship. Hurting others to avoid them being placed in danger was something he had to do sometimes. "It does not matter." He instead told her standing up as she tilted her head. "Now, the landing should be very close. Are you able to walk?" he asked her.

She rubbed her arms, "Y-Yes." She said meekly.

"Good." He said walking on as he heard her sigh, making him stop again. Like nature, he didn't want to interfere, but glancing at her, her nervous tendencies, possible abandonment issues she feels from being left with someone by her parental, that someone being a easily distracted and jumpy adolescent. That alone, made him partly responsible for her, without her care giver around. "Ellen...You must stay close to me." He told her.

"O-Oh…O-Okay." She spouted starting to run towards him as fast as her legs to carry her. She stopped herself at his feet as he nodded to her.

"Just as a precaution." He added.

She grinned, "I know what that means." She said lightly to impress him.

"You are advancing." He said lightly as she linked her hands swinging them back and forth to the praise. Then Optimus came to an abrupt hault as they had arrived at the scene of the crash landing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Mm-hmm :) Please R + R  
><strong>


	6. Regroup

**A/N Lets see if I can get this fic up to speed with the Prime series before the new series comes out :P challenge accepted and I'll try really hard, lets see how far I get :) **

* * *

><p><strong>Regroup <strong>

Looking over the damage the impact lay on the land and its plant life, "I must be swift in locating whoever entered this atmosph-" Optimus stopped as he looked down at his leg with Ellen clinging to the back of his foot, that is she stretched her arms across the back of his foot, finding it odd due to the fact she would barely approach him from the start. "Is something troubling you?"

"It-It's dark." She said. "I hear weird noises, like w-ooo-ak-ak-ak-pu-phaww."

He looked at her, furrowing his brow, "Many of that can be explained reasonably, but if your wildlife turned hostile I will keep them at bay."

"Even if they bit you?" she said shocked.

He nodded.

"N-Not wolves though their like hobo-doggies." she commented making him raise an eyebrow.

He turned his attention back to the impact looking down the burning trail that was left, "This will not be left unnoticed for long." He summarised frowning to another thought, was this an Autobot? Or a Decepticon? Despite how unlikely that may have been for the second, it was still plausible. He looked down again. "Ellen, stay here." He looked to the overgrown patch of bushes hidden with leaves as he pointed, "Stay well hidden within the plant life, I need to investigate the scene."

She looked at the bushes nodding as she favoured exploring bushes, she made a little hideout area in Sam's backyard once. "That sounds fun." She agreed, "But, I thought your friends were friendly?"

"I am afraid It is not only Autobots that are landing on this planet." He informed her as her eyes widened.

"Y-You mean, the b-bad ones?" she said.

He turned his head to one side thinking he did not wish to frighten her even more, "It is highly unlikely, I just...want to be sure that you are in a secure position, somewhere safe while I investigate. Understand?"

She stared at him for a while, to tell if what he was saying was true, "You wanna hide here too?" she then asked lightly.

He lightly smiled to her childlike thinking, "This is my duty." He told her as she turned solemn to that sentence.

"Daddy said that too." She muttered to him, "Then he went away." She then folded her arms, "I don't like him that much right now." She announced stubbornly.

He tilted his head, understanding the situation, but still could not interfere. "I will not." He then told her boldly. Though she dipped her head, "I will be alright." He reassured.

"Don't get hurt." She told him.

"I will be cautious. Remain here." He slightly scooted her towards the bushes with a cupped hand as he looked over the wreckage. Looking behind him to make sure she had done what he said he ventured on, there was a steep hill before the crash as he surfed down the bank steadying his balance he deployed his blasters, walking cautiously down the trail.

Finally he saw ahead the end of the crash as he looked around, then in hearing a loud sound of steps, he took cover as they came closer his blaster charged up then when just within in reach he barrel rolled deploying both blasters as did the one who had crash landed. Though Optimus let his mouth open a little in surprise as he transformed his hands again, straightening up.

"Bulkhead?" Optimus greeted questionably.

"Optimus?" Bulkhead awed. "Ha-ha, of all the bots to meet me first."

"You received my message?"

"Sure did. Where I was, had no trace of Cons thought I'd loosen up these joints again."

"Any damages in re-entry?" he asked.

"Nah, it was like taking a stroll to get me lively again." He nodded.

"Were you tracked?" he then asked gravely.

"No Sir." he said as he looked around. "Is there many of us with you?"

Optimus started to walk back to his previous location as Bulkhead walked besides him. "Bumblebee is with us. Ratchet is currently in route to a different location."

"Right got ya." He said his face scrunching up to the environment. "So, what dump of a planet are we on this time?"

"Home is Home Bulkhead." He argued.

"If you say so. Not sure about the air, it's…muggy." He argued.

Heading back up the hill he stopped as he looked at the place he had left her. "Ellen?" he said looking around checking thoroughly in case she was indeed right under his feet, "Ellen, answer me." He called firmly.

"What's that you're calling?" Bulk asked.

"A native of this world, human." He explained.

"If it can't stay still for that long, humans must be duller than I am." He joked.

He shook his head, "She is only in a child stage, not fully developed nor life experienced. She may have wandered off to something else that she has taken interest in." He said looking around. "Watch your footing Bulkhead."

Bulkhead stood still immediately, "Er, I might just stay here." He told him as Optimus checked the area.

After stepping down a small hill, she hadn't gone far as he found her knelt and watching small minnows in a shallow river poking the water as they scattered, "your all friends?" she said humming, "don't you get annoyed? There too close to you." suddenly they all scattered at once to the deeper end as a shadow fell upon her, "Well you are…" she said unbeknownst of the shadow.

"Ellen." Came Optimus sternly.

She fell backwards, "Ow…" she said standing up, "Optimus? Y-You scared the fish away." The look he gave her made her scuff the back of her heel into the pebbles, "I-I didn't do It." she defended.

"Was I not clear that you had to remain where you were?"

She held her hands together looking at the floor, "it…it wasn't far."

He stood up remembering the mistake of bringing her in the first case, the existence of curiosity was too much, "I thought you were aware-"

"I've never seen a forest before." She then said.

He places his arms by his side as he took in that comment, coming from her it sounded as a sad fact, looking above him the area was fascinating he hadn't noticed until she mentioned it. He sighed. "Neither have I." he said warmly. "You have many chances to see them again, but while with me you **must** follow my orders when necessary, especially if it involves your safety."

She shuffled her feet, "my heads fault." She said looking around, "Not that good anyway." She said faking it as he noticed her flick her eyes up a particular. "I think, there's a, bird up there."

"Bird?" he said noticing that sound of tweeting chatter from above and all around in fact, "Seems you share this planet with many other indigenous."

She walked up to the trunk being four foot wide in thickness as she wrapped her arms around and started digging her feet in, "Watch this." She said to him as she started shuffling.

"Er…Optimus?" Bulkhead voice came from behind after noticing it was fine for him to start moving again. Then looked down to this small fleshy creature, "Is this the race we're supposed to be protecting?"

"Yes." He simply said as Ellen fell on her behind.

"No wait, I can do It." she argued.

He knelt down, "Ellen, we must leave." He repeated as she stood up holding her hands together as she looked disappointedly up the tree. Optimus' expression fell a little to her disappointment, but time was not in their favour nor could he, help her see the bird's nest, he did not want to harm her by accident. She stood still as he used reverse psychology moving forward as Bulkhead looked slightly confused.

"Er, Opt-"

He raised a hand to stop him as they continued to walk, Ellen slightly gasped as they got further and further away, "Mm-mm-mm…" she mumbled while she ran after them reaching to following just behind him, Optimus glanced behind him as she had a huffy look on her face.

They carried on walking until they reached the road. "Bulkhead we will have to remain here momentarily until you find a vehicle mode."

"They have that here?"

He nodded, "The trees will provide enough cover until you find a suitable form."

"Er, right." He said as they carried on to the edge of the forest.

Optimus looked to behind him as Ellen placed her arm to her side swaying them alongside her head, she frowned and mumbled, "Are you fatigued?" she shook her head. "What of your…energy source?" she shook her head as he turned his head back to the front.

She lifted her head frowning at him, she didn't want to say but he said she could tell him anything. "How come…how come your hand goes all weird when you go near me?" she asked. "D-Do you think I'll make you 'sick' or something?"

He bared a concerned look, "it is nothing-"

"Whoa..." Bulkhead announced making Optimus turn as Ellen lowered her head again. "Now this is a place that suits me." He said noting the small carriage way made up of grey concrete and metal.

"Stay low Bulkhead." Optimus reminded.

"Right. Just have a feeling we'll be waiting a while." He said watching the road for any headlights, as Optimus glanced at Ellen as she had now sat down, head resting on her knees.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Sam and Bee had come upon their own signal as they come upon an abandoned school. That much so nature had reclaimed it, Sam slightly shivered. "I never got how these places would get abandoned." He looked up to Bumblebee, "Are we there yet?"<p>

Bee checked the scanners, **"Well whoever it is, should be close, three clicks north of here."** He said.

"Whoever?" Sam said.

"**Just stay close alright?"** he said as he dispensed his weapons.

"That doesn't make me feel any better when you get those things out Bee." He complained.

"**So, you want us to be, defenceless?"**

"You know what-you know what, just-just keep the guns alright? Just keep-em." He folded his arms. "Here's something I've wondered, are we the only humans who know about you guys?"

"**Well, technically, no. Decepticons have been making themselves known around the world, but any activity, your media reports it as something 'human' related." **He said.

"Such as?"

"**Well, recently they attacked a base situated in another country. From what I was able to gather, there were countless losses**, **but it was thought to be an attack from another country, leading to a potential War between various countries only because the attacker can't be identified."** He said.

"Can't be identified? A giant robot are you serious?" he said.

"**I MEAN, humans can't identify which country sent this 'technology'." **He explained.

"Oh." He said.

"**So we have to talk to your government, before it becomes a worldwide misunderstanding."** Bee said.

Sam felt his heart race, "W-Well Th-that's-that's disturbing."

"**It is." **Bee said as they peaked inside the empty building, all its windows and doors of the bricked structure non-existent. Thick inches of moss was the brick works new paint job. Dust crumbled from the ceiling gathering onto the floor as it became disturbed with every step they took. The place was lifeless not even cockroaches vacated her.

"You know , instead of stepping cautiously, can we just jog through this place and find your friend or whatever and get out of here?" Sam begged.

"**Your not scared are you? you said its abandoned, besides what could be here that I couldn't deal with?"**

He shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe the moss in here has transcended, gaining a conscious mind and is manipulating this **very **building?" he said making it up on the spot but somehow believing his own words now.

Bumblebee was slightly on edge too, he didn't know everything about this planet. **"That's…just, stupid. Moss doesn't do that…do-does it?" **

"Well, plants are alive."

*Cr-rrr-eeaak-Snap!*

"Ahhh!" Sam yelped as the two froze. Though…Sam found himself in an odd position. "Er, Bumblebee?"

"**Y-Yeah Sam?"**

"Why…are you, holding me?" he asked as Bee held him like a cuddly toy.

He immediately put him down as he rubbed his helm, **"I was just…giving you some, erm…reassurance. That, I can protect you."**

He rubbed his arms down, "R-ight…it wasn't the fact that **you **were spooked? And don't say 'protect' like that it just sounds, weird."

"**Like what?" **

"Shh!" he hissed as the sound of creaking came again. "There it Is again…T-The hell is that?!"

Bee straightened himself up as he looked past the other side of the building to outside, a large figure walked cautiously outside. **"Lets find out." **he said regaining confidence.

* * *

><p>Ellen sat on the floor crossing her legs, Optimus watched the road with Bulkhead though his head turned onto her more than once. "Hey er, what's with the tiny squishy over there?" Bulk asked.<p>

"Under our protection. For the simple fact that she was a witness to a Decepticon, also we do not wish to draw attention to ourselves, as much as I do not wish to seem distrusting."

"Right…" he said looking at her. "What is she doing?"

"Focus on acquiring your form, she has become my concern." He told him as after a while he turned to her himself leaving Bulkhead to his own task. "I hope there has not been a misunderstanding?" he said to her watching her play with pebbles forming them in a design of some sort. "We cannot make resolve with silence." He said as she simply ignored him mainly because she didn't understand what he was saying and it just frustrated her. He tried simpler methods to help this. "What are…you doing?" he asked.

"Just playing." She muttered. "With rocks."

"Yes I see, that looks…engaging." He said.

She lightly smiled to herself to his change in speech sounding not as smooth, clear and constantly flowing as usual. "You wanna play?"

"Perhaps later." He said as she carried on by herself sighing.

"So…did I, 'mis-understand'?" she said.

"Yes, to answer your question from before, firstly we cannot contract human diseases so you are no threat to me." He said lightly. "Second, I do not wish to harm you, which is why I choose to 'hover' my hand."

"But, you said that you wouldn't harm any of us, so you won't hurt me. That's what you said."

"You are correct. And I would never harm you, it's just, and this may be difficult for you to understand but, I have known War for thousands of years…you become adapted to it as much as you try to reject the fact that change has occurred in yourself. But to reverse all that, to adjust back into civilisation, is more 'difficult'."

"Mmm…your right. I don't know what you mean." She said lowering her head.

"I am sorry, if this offends you…I can be, arduous…difficult to others."

She grinned a little, "Maybe just a little. But that's okay, you're just…new."

"Is that how you refer to indifference? Interesting." He said.

She folded her arms, "I don't wanna touch you either…I don't really know you, and you might have worms." She blurted.

"Hm. I see you express yourself through insults as a way of compromising your limited vocabulary." he argued.

She went a little red, "N-No…I can…I can say…'I like you now.' **And**, I'm not scared." She then stood silent for a while before she reached a hand up, "H-High…high five?"

Optimus looked at his hand, but presented a lifted finger to her trying to mimic her gesture. "Perhaps a more, suitable proportion." He told her.

She cupped her hand around the tip of his finger as she slightly gripped it, her eyes widening in fascinating, "Wow…" she awed, causing him to smile just a little from the corner of his mouth. "Where…we going now?" she then asked.

"As soon as Bulkhead has acquired a form, we shall rendezvous with Bumblebee. Hopefully he has located another Autobot."

"Another one of your friends?"

"Yes."

She thought for a second, "Are we somewhere safe yet?" she sighed exasperated.

"Not yet." He said. "We may be on this planet a while."

"Your homes Cy-ber-tron?" she said.

"That is correct."

"Do you miss it?"

"It has been a long time since it has really been home."

"Huh?"

"I mean that it has...changed."

She scuffed her feet, "Because of…the, War?"

He tilted his head somewhat intrigued, "Yes…I am intrigued that you understand the term, as loose as that most likely may be."

"Daddies a soldier." She started to explain a little boastingly to talk about her father. "I was born on the base he's at now. Sometimes, my Mommy would send me to this place, because they would have alot of drills...or something. That must hurt I bet." he noticed her head drop. "There were guns sometimes too, my ears would hurt."

He furrowed his brow, "Then there is conflict on this planet as well?"

"Con-flict?"

"Disagreement."

"Er y-eah, I don't really get it. But the other soldiers get hurt sometimes when they go out, I'm not supposed to look." She perked up, "But sometimes there would be other kids there I'd play with."

"How did you come to return here?" he asked going alone with light conversation.

"My Mom and Dad were supposed to be dis—dis…"

"Discharged?"

"Yeah that's it, ages ago, we were going to live in a house and everything." She rubbed her hands, "But…Mommy died in fire. I don't know what that really means, but she's gone now because of the fire." She said flatly.

"My sympathies." He said as she tilted her head at the word, "Perhaps we should not speak of past events and focus on now for the time being."

She lifted her hand, "I haven't finished." She stated matter of fact. He was about to reply, his mouth opening only slightly until she pressed a finger against her lips, making him place his hands behind his back as he averted eye contact.

"So…Dad stayed there, I don't know why. But I stay with Sam, Dad says we're related somehow, so I guess that's okay…Okay, **now **I'm finished." She then snickered as she looked at him trying not to give eye contact. "I'm finished." She repeated as he placed his hands to his side.

"Is that a given order to act as I was Commander?" he said lightly.

She blinked in confusing, not sure if he was serious or not, but with a given smile she cracked a chuckle. "ha-ha." She expressed, a little unsure to his tone. Then her face scrunched up a little as she mumbled in discomfort, "Erm, Optimus? C-Can I ask something?"

"I have mentioned before that you do not need to ask permission to speak freely." He said.

"B-But what if, it makes you angry?" she asked.

"It takes much use of endearment before I turn to irrational anger." He said.

"You can take a lot…" she translated. "Well, I'm…I'm..."

"Yes?" he encouraged.

"Erm…Hungry." She admitted shyly.

"Hungry? Lack of nutrition. Of course you would burn energy differently to us. And where are these, storage deposits?"

She snickered.

"Is something humorous?"

"That's not what it's called." She shrugged snickering.

He chuckled breathlessly, "Well, what would **you** call it?"

"Stores…sometimes. I call them food libraries." She shuffled her feet.

"Do you know where the closest is located?" he asked.

"Erm…no." she shrugged.

He looked around, "Hm, my guess is that your caregiver would provide it for you?"

She nodded.

He looked at Bulkhead, "I will see what I can do." He reassured.

"Thank you."

"Optimus." Bulkhead called. "Hard to believe it comes in my size." He joked showing the subtle differences in his armour resembling parts of a vehicle.

Optimus nodded, "Bulkhead, we are rolling out."

"About time." he said eagerly starting to walk towards the road to transform, Ellen then looked up to the power lines just below Bulkheads neck that he was walking towards.

"Erm…" she muttered as Optimus looked at where she was looking. Squinting slightly he saw the issue.

"Bulkhead, wait!" he called, though too late as Bulkhead came in full contact his body spasmed with electric currents, he made jittered sounds as he fell on his back bringing down a whole row of power lines, "I—I-iiii-zzz—zzzzz-" he twitched. "w-w-we're u-u—nder, a-a-ttt-t-t-t-tack!" he jittered as Optimus lowered his head shaking it.

Ellen snickered. "He was dancing." She grinned.

"Bulkhead? Are you functioning?" Optimus asked.

He sat up rubbing his head as he looked up, "I, think so. Scrap that was some tingle, what was that?"

"Dad said that, 'el-lect-tri-city' runs through those strings." Ellen said.

Optimus nodded. "They power your cities." He looked over the coming town. "We may have caused a blackout in certain areas, Bulkhead let us use what time we have to practice caution."

Bulkhead looked to the side slightly sheepish. "Er…right. Sorry about that Optimus." He said rubbing his head.

He then placed a finger on his helm, "Bumblebee do you read?"

"**Sure do Optimus. We meeting up?" **

"Send co-ordinates." he replied receiving these co-ordinates. "You are on the preferable route than us, we shall meet with you."

"**We'll be waiting."**

Ellen furrowed her brow as to where exactly they were going. "I almost forgot that the kid can't talk that well. Megatron will get his." Bulkhead noted bitterly.

"Do you have any previsions?" Optimus asked him.

Bulk shrugged. "Just my blasters, mêlée weapon. A few grenades just in case, being out there, it was rough…not that I'm complaining."

"Rough?" Ellen said lightly as Bulkhead looked down, then to Optimus, then down again.

"Er…sure, had to fight of creatures **three **times the size of me." He explained, naturally becoming excited to the thought of it again. "One time I saw a Decepticon get in range of one and got chomped. Ha! The only thing that was left was his upper torso hanging from-"

"Bulkhead." Optimus said in a warning tone as Ellen blinked unknowingly.

"Oh…not for kid species right? Sorry I got caught up." He said.

"What kind of creatures were they?" she asked eagerly.

"That is enough. We have to continue forward." Optimus told her as she looked to the floor, his optics slightly widened to the drop of her head, "However…I am, sure that Bulkhead can explain these beings on the way, in an appropriate manner."

Both Bulkhead and Ellen looked blankly at his sudden change of tone, it was almost scary. "E-Er yeah sure." Bulkhead said a tad wary.

She smiled.

"Bulkhead transform." He said as they both did so, Ellen got into his cab as they continued down the road.

"Now…" Optimus started. "Bulkhead, you were explaining this encounter?" he said lightly.

As then Bulkheads voice was heard through Optimus' radio. "…R-ight…you sure? Are you…?"

"I am sorry?"

"N-Nothing, I was saying, It stood on two legs but slouched, like a hunter or something." He started as Ellen sat to the edge of the seat crossing her legs. "It had no optics, no audio receptors, but dripped plasma from its skin."

"…Do not, cause her distress." He reminded.

"It's okay, Optimus. I like weird things. I'm not scared." She said.

"You were afraid of myself." He reminded lightly.

"Yeah…you're not weird, you're just too normal, I think." She smiled. "Erm…B-Bulkhead? What else did it look like?" she changed very shyly.

Optimus watched her and was troubled. _"Stay focused." _He reminded himself trying to remain on the road, but the conversation, and both their eagerness, he wanted to be a part of the conversation. But he knew his position and what it involved, he cared deeply for his friends, comrades. But could never be in that same circle that they were in, he remained on the outside. But it was difficult to not look in, though he did find it odd that he found himself going to such lengths as to reasure her so much.

* * *

><p><strong>AN The stories been told a thousand times and will be told a thousand times more but I don't care :P. So, I've suddenly got an addiction to commissions on Deviantart :P users such as RebArc and ERA-7 who kindly accepted my commissions, are a couple of examples of brilliant artists, if you wanna check out my oc with Optimus you can see it on my deviantart page the link is on my profile, anyone who has an account should go check out there other artwork and watch them ;)  
><strong>

**And as usual please R + R...I get lonely in this tiny box called the 'world of interwebs' :P**


	7. Justify

**A/N man...December, busy times, just a little heads up i may or may not be busy during this period as work may ask me to come in alot of the time this month, also I made myself a promise to finish this little one shot my friend wants me to do, and i said i would do anything in my writing skills to cheer her up after i found out about some not so great times she was going through.**

* * *

><p><strong>Justify<strong>

Although this was supposed to be the moment things got serious with them being close to Bumblebee, Sam and the third member's position, they were passing through a small town, and something caught Optimus' optics, "Ellen?"

"Huh?"

"The structure to the right, is that the 'store'?" he asked.

She squinted her eyes taking a few moments to be on the same train of thought, "I…think so. I see fruit." She felt a nervous feeling in her stomach as he pulled up all of a sudden alongside Bulkhead. She then reached a hand into her pocket pulling out some currency. "So…I'll just grab something." She said sceptically counting out loud in her head the pressure of math coming too quickly. "1…2…3…and…a nickel. Three dollars…just, look for a three." She muttered to herself.

"Are…you able to make a deposit?" he then asked her, on second thought.

She went a little red, thinking he was making fun of her again that she couldn't' do anything by herself. "Y-Yes. I'm a big girl, I can do It." she argued stubbornly.

"I will still need to activate a holoform. Supervision is still required." He said trying to reassure her.

"No! I can do it!" she snapped opening the cab door, but then slightly gasped to her snappy tone putting her head down, "I-I'm s-s-sorry." She stuttered.

"That is alright. However what was the spark of your sudden anxiousness?" he asked.

"I-I'm fine." She just said.

He paused, then said. "It is alright to ask for assistance."

"I can do it." she merely said walking towards the store folding her arms, though Optimus kept a close eye on anyone inside or outside the building. He was still unsure of human nature but he thought to go with her anyway, so he activated his holoform stepping out of the cab and following her behind.

"Optimus?" Came Bulkhead through his comm link.

"Observe the perimeter Bulkhead." He said.

"Right." He replied looking oddly upon his holoform. "I hope I don't need to do that." He muttered.

Optimus calmly approached the store as the escalated doors opened for him, it wasn't too large inside, it held only five short aisles and was easy to move around, and simple to keep track of Ellen. As he followed her from the start of every aisle while checking the surroundings.

At one point she stopped completely looking at an item puzzled, looking at her notes several times before taking a grab for her item, and then looked back to her money counting in her head. Optimus was calm in this scenario, however his body language was not disguised. He stood as stiff as a board and never once blinked when watching her.

He overheard a couple of mutters, at this point but was quick to respond when asked a question. "Excuse me?" came a voice as he spun around making the woman who spoke back up slightly. By the uniform she wore, she was a staff member, in her Prime and expressed confidence in her tone.

"Yes?" he replied.

"I am sorry to disturb you, but we have had numerous complaints from customers." She started.

"And what do these complaints consist of?" he asked.

"Now, I am an optimistic but in this day of age you can't be too careful, with everything said on the news, celebrities being exposed." She continued as he tilt his head.

"I do not understand."

With this prolonging to her liking she put her hands together resting her chin against the tip of her fingers, "I'm sorry, you must be an optimistic too if you don't really understand my hints. So I'll be frank just for safety reasons you understand." She then looked past his shoulder as she lowered her voice. "The little girl you're eyeing upon. Is she your niece? Friends child?"

"Is there any relevance to my connection?" he asked.

"I don't want to offend it's just that the customers find it concerning when someone is staring at a child for more than ten minutes and doesn't once blink."

"There is nothing to be concerned about." He tried to reassure. "I do not intend harm."

"Then may I ask what you are doing?"

"Observing."

She straightened up defensively. "Hmm…" she murmured.

"I am sorry. But I have not researched your culture to the full extent so if I have offended-"

Ellen then spotted the two, hearing Optimus' voice but the man who owned it scared her more than when was a robot. But she knew he was in trouble, and it had to be him. If he could transform into a truck why not a human, she thought. Then she noticed the woman placed a hand on her hip a sure sign of being told off. "Hey!" she called running over as she shut her eyes tight to take a hold of the 'mans' hand. "I did it." she told him with a big grin trying to think to herself that this was Optimus.

"You have?" he said calmly playing along.

"Worked out what it costs…I even got change over." She said.

The lady looked them over suspiciously as she then knelt, "Hun, Do you know this man?" she asked.

She looked him over her eyes going to the floor, "Yes…" the woman raised an eyebrow. "I was buying some things, l-little things."

"Yes." Optimus added. "This has an educational purpose, economically and to not expend carelessly."

"Yep." Ellen said grinning as she still frowned. "Erm…we need to buy it now. So bye okay?" she then leaned into him to try and sell it.

The woman's face lightened up. "Well, alright then, just try not to act so suspicious."

"I appreciate the encouragement." He said though she had turned around before he could speak this to her face.

"Well, you and your Dad enjoy the rest of your day. Sorry for the misunderstanding." She said walking off.

Ellen quickly let go of the holoform hand as she turned shy again kicking her feet up, "Gross."

"Hm?"

"N-Nothing…well I-I mean, Y-Your 'guy' is funny lookin'. But she didn't have to be mean to you…everyone was being nosey, they were just staring." She frowned. "I wanna pinch her." She announced grudgingly.

Though he knew she was only expressing herself, He stood silent for a while staring at her, "Wh-What?" she said nervously.

"Ellen. I want to extend my thanks." he said.

"F-For, what?"

"A small insight into your society to resolve a misunderstanding." He said.

"…I…still don't know what I did. Whenever I got stuck, Mom would help me with my words." She said as he started to walk down the aisle, "H-Hey where you going?"

"You have a deposit to make." He said.

She grinned as she ran after him, "Hey, Optimus?"

"Yes?"

"Can you stay a robot? I don't like this…guy. I need to know who is who. I mean I might really be a cat…am I a cat? Or-Or grass?"

"It is inevitable, however to avoid confusion I will explain that this is just another form of disguise. My true form is how you have first seen me, I can assure you of that. Undesirable as it is, in situations such as these it is something I would need to acquire." he said. "However unlikely it may have been before."

"Yeah but…'you' is cool." She muttered. "…Op-Optimus?" she said again.

"Yes Ellen?"

"Do you know…numbers?" she asked shyly.

He stopped, then knelt, "I am familiar with your numerals yes."

"Then…is-is this, right?" she asked showing him her items and money.

He quickly scanned over the items and price metres away. "Yes. It is."

"C-Cool, ne-next time. Can you come with me? I've never done this before." she asked.

He produced a small smile, that she was starting to reach out for help. "Of course, and perhaps you will allow me to show you an easier method of learning?" he asked with fondness.

She perked up. "Y-Yes please!"

He then lowered his voice, "And in exchange…are you able to inform me of that puzzling misunderstanding?"

She cupped a hand around her mouth, "Stranger danger…I think." She said seriously. "They take kids by hypnotizing them or something, t-that's what my friend told me, and then they take you back to their house and they force you to…do **tons **of homework, I don't do that yet but my friend says it's never-ending and it can be as big as **me**."

Though the perspective was interesting, he thought to research certain things himself instead. "We need to leave now." He told her.

"Sure. I-I'll give them the stuff and you can give the money." She said with a quick skip. "You know a lot don't you Optimus?"

He chuckled quietly. "It depends on the perspective of quantity. But in certain subjects, cultures. Yes, I do know 'much'."

She grinned nodding, "You're not like some people I've talked to. They don't, always know what to say. Just sound like they've got, h-he-he, gas or something."

"Yes…Now, we must hurry. We can continue casual discussion later." He told her.

"Oh, okay." she said dryly.

Thinking she misunderstood him again, "I-"

"Optimus." Came Bulkheads voice as Optimus stiffened his posture.

"Bulkhead, what is wrong?"

"You better get out here-ur…I don't think we put enough distance...my landing must've made too much…Ye-ahhh!" With the sound of metal clashing and Bulkheads battle cries, the comm was disrupted.

"Bulkhead?" his holoform turned around to the window as crowds gathered.

"Holy shit! You see that?!" came one human.

"Why are you all staring find cover for god's sake!" shouted another taking cover behind a spinning rack of postcards.

With most keeping their distance, some bolting for their cars, a few with there phones recording the fight and general panic ensuring. The whole store shook as Optimus saw Bulkhead being pushed back across the car park. He was about to deactivate his holoform until Ellen clung tightly to his leg. "Ellen-" he started to say firmly before he heard her whimper. Acting quickly he picked her up finding a place to hide her. Setting her down in the back he placed hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me." though she was too frightened to concentrate properly. "You will be safe here. But this time you **must **stay here understand?"

Her head still bowed as she shook, he then lifted her chin to force her to look at him. "You will be alright. I will not allow them to harm any human."

She grabbed his hand. "D-Don't…go…please."

"I must."

She then threw herself into him gripping his holoform's lower torso, "No-no stay."

His eyes shut briefly before he held her head still, "I must help Bulkhead, he is my comrade…a friend."

"A friend…" she repeated bowing her head. "I-I'm scared…"

"It's alright to be afraid. It is the first stage of bravery." He told her before standing up. "Now, remain here. That's an order." With that his holoform faded away as he transformed outside into his real form, seeing the problem on hand a unit of four Vehicons.

Charging towards the group that surrounded Bulkhead, he shoulder bashed two to one side, deploying a gun to shoot at one as the other leapt towards him. With a swift swing of his arm, Optimus grabbed the Vehicon by the forearm and threw him to the ground.

Bulkhead was swift In taking care of his opponents if not careless as with his last Vehicon he whacked him into a power line pole as the Vehicon lay there unconscious a loud creaking sound came from the pole as he tilted down towards the store, Bulkhead made a run to grab it but it came down too fast as it collapsed onto the store, it spat sparks of electricity as it was on top of the stores neon sign, the two sources collided as electricity turned to a burst of flames.

A sound of numerous panic sounded and a high frequency alarm rang out. Finishing off the Vehicons Optimus looked over the building. "Bulkhead make sure all humans in the building leave safety!"

"How?! They'll just run back inside at the sight of me."

"I made a head count of 54. I will deal with the source." He called.

"A-Alright I'll do it!" he said going around the building.

Optimus went up to the wooden post as he lifted it off the ground to move it. Feeling slight static beat against his armour as well as the intense flames, he endured putting it to one side. "Bulkhead! Have they all retreated?"

He could only stand and watch as panicked people came running out of the exit doors, even when trying to communicate with them he was only met with a pointing finger and hollered scream. "I think so, I saw 53, Now let's get the scrap out of here."

"_53?_" he thought, "Did you see the girl among them?"

Around the other side of the building Ellen was closer to the other exit as she wrapped arms around herself in an anxious state, leaning up against the wall she saw running people, and a few Vehicons on the ground. Surprisingly what caught her eye was less noticeable. "…Shiny." She awed looking at a small rectangular shaped object that lay in the Vehicons hand.

"She was a little thing. Maybe she was in the-" their heads snapped around as the sign crashed onto the ground.

"Ellen…" Optimus said. Taking a step forward he was about to call her and go in.

"What?" came her voice from below him.

He stared at her for a moment before he dipped his head relieved, "Thank Primus…" he muttered.

"The fire alarm went off…Do you think I would stay?" she chuckled though slightly shaking. "I…almost froze...I saw, the fire." She admitted.

"Haunting memories can lead to that." He said kneeling down looking her over. "Are, you alright?" he asked.

"I think so. I didn't cry once." She said then pointed at his shoulder noticing a black mark from the flames left on his shoulder. "Does, that hurt?"

He shook his head, "No, it is minor."

"Even those?" she said pointing to the scratches and marks all around his armour.

"I have gained these over the years, they are mere scarring now."

As they continued to talk the Vehicon that lay on his front just behind them lifted his head alongside his armed gun, too weak he was just about able to aim at the Primes feet. "Optimus!" Bulkhead cried.

In a reaction Optimus scooped Ellen up holding her close to him as he spun around shooting at the Vehicon, this time making sure it was a fatal shot. "Scrap, Con playing dead." Bulkhead said.

Optimus lowered his arm as he looked down noticing he was holding her, with an encased hand around her, and realising she wasn't harmed. She lifted her head as she looked around, close to his chest with a shadowed hand around her, she then looked up to him as she grinned a little, she then looked down, and then clinged to dear life to him. "th-that's hi-hi-highh…" she uttered.

He shuttered his optics in a relieved manner. _"I had not harmed her." _He expressed.

He placed her back on the floor as her smile quickly faded as she looked to the aftermath, the Vehicon left with a shot in his head, she then looked at Optimus' arm with a recently used hand gun slight steam coming from it, putting two and two together she slightly shifted back from him, her eyes widening and her stance stiff with slight fear. "Did you…d-did you, k-kill him?" she asked.

He bowed his head, "He was terminated yes." He told her.

She stared at him, her face conflicted between frowning and fear, "Why couldn't you just, make him sleep? Wh-Why did you have to…do _that_."

He shut his optics regrettably and felt conflicted to the look she was giving, he never intended to place fear upon this race, by his own hand especially. "It is the circumstances and factors that have a hand in my decision, the circumstance of War, the lack of imprisonment th-" he stopped as she looked slightly fearful to even the twitch of his fingers, he knelt to try and reassure her, though she backed up even more, like their first meeting she was back to fearing him, "If he were allowed to continue, innocent humans would have been at risk of harm, and…and you. I did what I thought necessary for protection, however it does not make my decision right."

She looked up at him, "No." She said crossly backing up slightly.

"Acts such as this is a questionable justification." He lifted a hand towards her as she gasped. He retracted quickly. "You do not need to fear me." Her breathing became unsteady again. "I cannot justify my actions, only by the justification of War. Though that in itself is against my cause. And I cannot force you to not fear me, however I will say this, if I had not acted first, he may have done the very same action to us." He bowed his head again. "Please understand."

She shuffled her feet as she looked over his face, "S-Sorry…I know you're not bad." She said moving closer to him as he let her come to him. She placed a hand slowly on his leg. "My friend stomped on a grasshopper once…I slapped him."

"Hm." He said indifferent though he knew she was only trying to explain her thoughts.

"b-but I got told off. He did too…I like bugs…" she said. "I would've been the grasshopper too. If you didn't do that. But it was still wrong, r-right?" He nodded. "Are you still going to take me home Optimus?"

"I will." He said lightly.

She smiled, "That sounds good, I liked driving around with you guys." as she suddenly remembered something. "Oh." She exclaimed running to the Vehicon.

"Ellen, come back." He called firmly.

She pointed just at the side of him, "look. H-He dropped something. I saw it." She said excitedly. He kneeled down to look at what she found picking it up he looked it over, "w-what is it?"

"Intel." He said looking at her with her hands behind her back grinning. He lightly hovered a finger over her head lightly patting it as she scrunched her face, "you have keen eyesight."

She tidied her hair up, "good thing right?"

"Very, in the given circumstances." he nodded to her. "Well done."

Her face turned red, "Heh-heh T-Thanks…But erm, can you warn me when you pet me again please. It made me jump."

He nodded, "Understood. Human behaviour is very difficult to predict." He admitted rubbing his helm. He then tapped into the object she had found as it begun to play an audio transmission through his processor as she looked puzzled until he had finished listening to it. "An audio recording." He explained. "A summoning with included co-ordinates. This unit was headed towards a city. Their encounter with us was merely coincidence." After he'd finished he placed it in a compartment on his arm. "We must hurry and regroup." He told her. "I am glad you remained where you were this time."

"Didn't need to move." She said. "Except when the alarm told me to."

He looked to the Vehicon unit. "I am sorry you had to witness this."

She looked away. "It wasn't…great."

"No." He said. "We are leaving."

"Kay."

"About time." Bulkhead commented. "We've only been here for a short time and already we're destroying more than helping…well **I'm **destroying."

Optimus looked to the store. "And I am afraid that we have exposed our identities. It will not be long until your higher ranking humans will engage us. Hostile or not, we must prepare for contact."

"So much for disguise. That didn't take long." Bulkhead added.

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><p><strong>AN ATTENTION...^^; i just wanted to say because i failed to mention before but i have submitted another poll just so i know what you guys are asking for me to do first and what to focus on so i'd appreciate it if you'd take a few seconds to check it out thank you and as always please R + R your comments FUEL me :)**


	8. What Is Best

**A/N be sure to read the Authors notes at the bottom :) I hope you enjoy this chapter and continuing story**

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><p><strong>What Is Best<strong>

Back on the road Optimus listened patiently to Ellen excitedly describing what she was able to see. Along the way she asked how they could understand Bumblebee and she couldn't, not well anyway. But had the time to teach a small lesson in understanding their language.

"…-..-…." Ellen expressed in numerous sounds. "Kind of like that?"

"Vaguely. But understandable, try to put more emphasis on the 'hum' in the phrase. Until it becomes a slight vibration." He said.

"…~~-…-~~…like that?" she asked again.

"Better. It only requires practice and then, you can utilise this to understand Bumblebee."

Before replying, Optimus' comm link opened. **"Optimus where are you? You guys okay?" **Bee asked with concern.

"We are now Bumblebee, I will explain in due time we are nearing your position." Optimus replied.

"**Oh, I see you. S-Sorry, It's just that Ratchet was getting worried so-"**

"I wasn't 'worried'! It's called an update! Standard procedure!" Came Ratchets groaning voice.

Optimus smiled to himself to the sound of his old friend's voice, "Whatever the case may be, both notions were appreciated."

Arriving, they came in view of now two vehicles, with Sam stepping out of Bumblebee and Ellen vice versa they transformed. In view of Sam, Ellen took a run for him. Then stopped at his feet. "Hey…you're not crying." He expressed as a form of relief.

She frowned at him as she stamped on his foot. "Poop-head!"

Though he expressed dryly. "Ow…the hurt."

"You left me…I don't like you anymore." She huffed.

"Come on, you were okay." She turned her head to the sky. "Look…I'm sorry alright? I should've been watching you." he knelt. "Friends?"

She glared at him, "…No." she said though she stepped forward to give him a light hug anyway. "I…had a, 'freak'." She admitted.

"Another panic attack?" he expressed. "Aw great now I feel guilt."

"I-Its okay, Optimus stopped it." she said.

"Oh…well cool." He then dipped his head. "You don't have to but…**don't **tell Mom. I'm broke as it is."

Optimus offered a hand to Ratchet as they greeted each other, "Ratchet. You made it safety old friend."

"Naturally." He replied. "Any of the **indigenous **give you any grief?" he asked.

"Nothing that could not be settled through diplomacy." He reassured.

"Hmph." He said looking around. "How anything can live here is beyond me, but then again I'm not exactly the universes creator."

Optimus looked down as Sam and Ellen drew closer to the group, "Ratchet, these are-"

"Yes, yes. I know. Human one and human two." he wavered off. "Couple of interferes who couldn't keep their selves out of dangerous business are now with us? Bumblebee has already told me. If it weren't for him, nature would have taken care of these two."

"That's a little cold Ratch." Bulk said.

"Yes well, the humid is appalling." He argued brushing his arms.

"Well, I'll give ya that." He replied.

"Optimus." Ellen whispered shuffling close to his foot.

"Ratchet is our medic and a very dear old friend." He reassured.

She sceptically looked at him as she cocked an eyebrow at him, "A friend? Are…A-Are you sure?" she asked doubtable.

"Excuse me?" Ratchet said hearing her whispering.

She put her head down as she shuffled to behind Optimus' leg. "She does not mean offense Ratchet." He assured.

"Clearly." He said dryly. "At least Bumblebee is still intact. After being alone on this rock" He sighed. "Has anything been causing you discomfort?" he aske him.

"**No, everything's still...Its fine." **He said.

"Well, you better inform me of any changes." He told him.

Bumblebee rolled his optics lightly. **"Alright Ratch."**

"I am afraid the pleasantries must be postponed. We have more urgent matters to attend." Optimus said. "We will set up temporal base here, until we gather ourselves. Ratchet attend to our warriors for a maintenance check."

He nodded in reply.

* * *

><p>Later that night all the bots were perched down against rock and boulders, Bulkhead was doing a little mêlée training with Bumblebee as Sam was poking at the both of them with mocking words.<p>

Optimus watched Ellen as she picked up some rocks slightly waving to him, he lightly smiled tensing his fingers as a small wave himself with Ratchet watching, "Where are we dropping off these two?" he asked checking over Optimus as his last patient.

"Perhaps a smaller place, far enough from the danger but close enough to return for them." He said.

"Return?"

"I, made a vow. That I would return them home." He said. "We have already revealed ourselves to human eyes, I do not wish to expose their identities to their government."

"Well just let them sneak back home themselves, there's no reason to put personal preference on them."

"Perhaps, but I made it my personal preference." He said.

Just then Ellen walked over, "Optimus, I found a rock I like." She lifted her hand up holding another rock, "Here, you can this one, it's the same one." He offered his palm as she let it roll into his hand.

He looked at it pretending to observe it with fascinating, well semi-pretending, "I appreciate the gesture, Thank you." he said as she grinned. "Ellen, Sam seems to be expressing distressing behaviour, perhaps you should reassure him." He said.

She looked at Sam breathing into his cupped hands after a near miss with Bulkheads fist, "I think he has 'accidents'." She snickered looking to the bot besides him, "H…Hi."

"Mm." Ratchet mumbled as she walked back towards Sam. Ratchet looked at the rock in his hand, "Hardly the same exact granite." He said.

"Harmless innocence old friend." He said.

He looked at him concerned, "Just don't get too indulged in this planet. You have, a too bigger spark and I get concerned about that." Optimus looked at him raising an eyebrow. "It's my role after all."

Ratchet sighed, "Optimus, let's be reasonable, they are liabilities they are more likely of bringing themselves harm and pulling us into it as well." He merely listened. "You were late in meeting with us. That doesn't happen unless there was a reason, something to delay you. And that was Decepticons, you fought in a populated area too. You wouldn't do that, you would lead them away the area first then fight them."

"Ratchet-"

"So, the only reason to not outrun them first was that you stopped and so they got the drop on you, but **why **did you stop?"

"Regardless of what has happened. An unfortunate incident has turned into an opportunity we now know where the Decepticons are headed." He argued.

"And how many times is this** luck** going to come in handy until it wears out? We need you to lead us, you aren't going to do that with a secondary priority."

"Hmm."

"I'm sorry…I'm only concerned for you, what if…what if these humans got you seriously injured or, Primus forbid terminated? Because you were too focused on them?"

"They are our focus, we are on their native soil, bri-"

"That's not what I mean. I mean directly concerned, you know who I'm referring to." He said as he looked over to her. "You know this too. You can't be her protector."

He tapped his fingers on his knees, "What would you suggest?"

"You know what to suggest, let Bumblebee look out for the humans. That was originally the plan, he told me himself."

"And that the plan changed when he became distracted." He argued. "He is suited to Sam as they are of similar mental capacity. Both too young too-"

"Optimus." He scolded. "You're not seeing reason, don't let your guard down to this world. This is something you would be lecturing **us **about. 'Do not make contact with the indigenous life' and you are second to Bumblebee to be making even a sound to these humans. "

He looked over as he bowed his head, "You are right. I made this rule for a reason, for their own safety. And broke it. She will be safer with Bumblebee, he has…more experience in engaging with them."

"There, it only would have been made worse the further down time it went. You have too much responsibly on your shoulders as it is, this isn't your suited role." He said placing a hand on his shoulder. "Their life spans aren't even that long, its better this way to only be neutral about them."

"Perhaps you are right." He said standing up. "I only hope, this does not cause her distress." He said starting to walk towards her and Sam.

"How many times do I have to say sorry?" Sam argued.

"A few bazillion times **and **a chocolate pyramid as high as space with a waterfall of marshmallows, gummy bears and-and chicken wings." She argued.

"Yeah, sure let me just ring the CEO of BS." He said.

She then looked up to the sound of loud footsteps, "Optimus! I was telling Sam how we saw trees, and we saw a squirrel and Bulkhead blew up everyone's TV's and I did the shopping." She grinned.

Sam rolled his eyes up at him, "If she's just saying stuff for the fun of it you can say." He said.

"I am **not **just saying stuff!" she cried.

"Though slightly exaggerated in some parts, it's true." He told him.

"Well shit me, telling the truth this time." He said surprised.

"Sam. Could you give me some time to speak with Ellen?" he asked.

He blinked and then frowned a little, "Why? What did she do? What did you do?" he asked frantically. "Fantastic El, you've offended them now he's going to have to squish you."

"S-squish me?!" she said panicked.

"Sam." He started firmly this time. "I need to speak to her."

"Er, sure I'll just stand over there." He said.

He sighed to himself, "Ellen-"

"It was Sam." She argued straight away.

"I am not excusing you of anything." He said.

"Oh…okay. What do you wanna talk about?"

"Now that we are reunited with the others, you no longer need to be under my protection. You can be reassigned to your original guardian Bumblebee." He told her simply.

"Huh?" she blinked.

"Stay close to Bumblebee, from here on out." he told her.

She frowned a little confused. "But, I wanna…stay with you." she said. "I told Sam, we saw a…a squirrel."

He shut his optics briefly collecting his words. "This was only a temporal arrangement. Bumblebee will act as guardian to you and Sam."

He looked at him, her eyes wider than usual, "I, don't want Bumblebee. He's got Sam…So I'm forgot about." She argued.

"I have already decided. I believe it is for the best, do you understand?"

She played with her fingers as she shrugged. "I, did what you said. S-Sometimes…I'm sorry w-when I didn't listen I'm sorry."

"Ell-"

"I said I was sorry! Y-You won't hurt me. R-R-Remember? You saved me from getting hurt. It-it was high but…"

"Ellen please…"

"You-you, the spin, and-and-"

"**Ellen. **enough." He told her as she slightly froze. "That is enough. This is not a personal decision nor have you caused any offense towards me to make you think this as an contributing factor, it is what is more reasonable." She dipped her head with a scowling expression. "You have done well to listen to me." he thought to praise in a soft tone. "Now, this is my last for you, go join Bumblebee and Sam, stay close to them and you will be in a safer position. If you stay under me, it will only be far more dangerous. I hope you understand."

She looked up slightly frowning at him with her eyes stinging with the start of tears, "you…s-said you'd take me home." She stuttered.

"I w-"

"You said! How can you when I'm with Bee!? You're…you're a liar! You were just telling me that to get me to shut up!" he reached a hand out to her but stopped himself retracting it again believing it to only make this situation worse. "Y-You s-said...you said…" she whimpered clenching her fists as she started to stream tears.

"Ellen, you must try to be pa-"

"I don't wanna be! My Dad told me to wait, now you!" She clenched her fists as she bit her lip, feeling her heart race as she inhaled deeply. "I-I…I **hate **you and I hate him!" She lashed hands out in front of her as she ran blindly towards and past Bumblebee and Sam not going too far as she sat by herself crying into her sleeve. Optimus lifted a heavy hand then let it drop by his side as he dipped his head slightly.

With it going eerily quiet, with Bulkhead making non-chalant sounds and most looking to the side or the floor, Bumblebee spoke up. "**We...can watch her from here."**

Sam played with his fingers to how awkward that felt to him, "Y-Yeah…when she's like this, I don't even try to go near her she just scratches and yells. It-it doesn't last long though she'll be fine." He added coughing nervously. "Then again…she did tear up the carpet when I snapped her Thundercat doll in two once. By-by accident. N-Nah it'll be fine...It-its fine-its fine."

Optimus turned back towards Ratchet as the guilt was easily seen. "I'm, sorry Optimus." Ratchet expressed. "If she only knew that your intentions were true. But their only human afterall." He patted his shoulder. "As, er…Sam was it? Said it's just blind anger, empty words. In a few hours I doubt she'll even remember where she is." he expressed.

Optimus merely murmured in a neatral response to the opinion.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Ellen slowly approached Bee mainly because it had gotten dark. "B-Bee?" she asked softly.<p>

"**Hey…are you okay now?"**

She dipped her head, "No…" she said.

"**What's wrong?" **

"Do you, like me?"

"**Sure. I guess, I mean I don't really KNOW you but you're a good kid. I think." **He said.

"You think? …then, I'm not weird?"

He rubbed his helm, "**Well, being on Earth I've find out that loads of humans are 'strange' in different ways…but still weird. But that doesn't change anything." **He said.

"Yes it does." she argued.

**"No, I just mean..." **he sighed. **"Well, Optimus told me once, when I thought I was...not what you feel but more..." **she tilted her head. **"The point is, he said that its the differences that make us unique. Like our transformations, our skills, personality. its the same for humans."**

"...Maybe." she muttered.

Bumblebee's optics slightly widened, **"Hey…could you understand all that?"**

She nodded sadly.

"**How? Despite Sam who just plays two many videogames." **He chuckled.

She shrugged. "Optimus, showed me, A little. You talk like an old speech or something. So he showed me how."

**"…Oh. That was great of him right?"**

She shrugged again, "Sam says that, I'm too quiet so I'm creepy."

"**Sam told me he has never been around younger humans before, so I wouldn't trust him as a source of advice." **He laughed.

"Maybe Optimus thinks I'm creepy." She said.

"**Aw, he wouldn't think that. Look whatever he said to you, you shouldn't take it personally he's just doing what he thinks is best." **

"I don't think its best…He wants me to stay with you and Sam. But…erm." She stopped as she played with her fingers again. "It's not that I think you…smell like poop or anything."

"**That's okay, I know what you mean." **He said.

She sat down as she shuffled close to him, "For a little bit…it was fun." She leant her head on her knees, "I wanna go home even more now." She rubbed an eye. "Why doesn't anyone, want me around?"

"**They do, everything they've done for you is for your own safety it's not that their abandoning you." **he poked her in the back of the head as she looked up at him annoyed rubbing her head. **"Besides, their all OLD right? They wouldn't understand." **She weakly smiled.** "Try to rest up a little Okay? We'll probably be leaving again soon."**

"Bee?"

"**Yeah?"**

"If I said, you wanna play a game? W-Would you?"

"**Sure I'd play a game with you, as long as it doesn't mean moving I mean look around…it's pretty dark." **

"We can play, sit down tag?"

"**Sure." **He said thoughtfully.

* * *

><p>A little while later the group gathered together to discuss the situation. "Levelled mountains?" Ratchet scoffed, "Well, a slight exaggeration if you ask me, as advanced as Decepticon technology is, there is nothing that powerful to scale mountains."<p>

"**Maybe not, but if it did, where did Megatron find such a thing?" **Bee questioned.

Optimus pondered with fingers locked together, "I am fully aware of myth and legend, but such a description I remember reading especially. And with all myth, there is a small basis of truth."

"What ya thinking?" Bulkhead said.

"Have any of you heard of the Requiem Blaster?"

Bulkhead and Bee looked blank though Ratchet looked amused. "You mean the weapon that is un-wieldable?" Ratchet jested.

"Perhaps not by hands, but with the correct tools." He argued.

"What are you saying? They just mounted the thing onto the front of the ship?" Bulkhead said.

Optimus placed pinched fingers under his chin. "From that intel alone that Bumblebee gathered, it is clear that this may indeed be the ancient relic of one former Nova Prime, whom we now know as the Fallen." He folded his arms as the others were silent with ominous reality dawning them. "We must stop that weapon, if the history texts are correct it is capable of taking down whole galaxies if its power is abused, ours, the humans and the Decepticons."

"Any plan on how to do that exactly?" Ratchet said.

"From communications, Megatron is taking the Nemesis in a particular direction towards a city, two hundred miles from here."

"Why?" Bulkhead asked.

"I do not know at this time, but from research this city holds no specific importance, my only guess is that there is something beneath the city."

"**Beneath? You mean like, maybe Energon?" **Bee said.

"Most likely." He said.

"A City of Energon, that's a huge depository if the cities as big as it boasts." Bulkhead said.

"And Megatron can get to easily by first wiping out the obstacle that is buildings, and humans." Ratchet said.

"H-How did this turn so dire?" Sam spoke up. "I almost made it with a girl a few days ago, we could've…got a job, maybe travel the world, get a divorce the become a guy too old for woman but that's okay with them." He rambled. "Could've ended up having seven kids and I didn't know it, or could've had the comfiest life ever, n-not too short of cash, not too much that I start smoking a pipe, no-now, I'll never know, because I'm still stuck on the dead weight ride and there are no brakes."

"**Sam, Sam." **Bee said as he almost starting hyperventilating. **"Calm down, I don't want you dying from breathing too fast."**

Optimus looked ahead down the road as he saw numerous vehicles, "Autobots." He said to get attention. "Transform." He then said as they did that. Numerous and of different origin vehicles appears, some of which were military class. Sam and Ellen just hid behind one of them.

As they came to a halt, Stepping out of the passenger seat of one them was one Captain William Lennox formally leading his unit in the desserts of Qutar now in seek of the Autobots. Beside him, Technical Sergeant Robert Epps and twenty other men. Sam stood beside Bee's alt mode as he pushed Ellen to behind him warily though nervously standing his ground.

Will looked over the vehicles as casually as he could to lighten the mood, "Evening." He said as Epps pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, we're in a hurry so I'm just going to come out and say it, you don't have to hide, I've been sent here on behalf of our government…even though I should really be home by now. But with what we know and our encounter with your enemy we're still needed." He added.

"You shouldn't bring your personal affairs to work man." Epps said.

He wavered a hand at him, "Can I, just ask for an audience?" he said to the vehicles, "Your soldiers right? Who leads your unit?"

"Er…" Sam then said stepping forward, "Y-eah so, are you okay?" he asked non chalant.

"Look kid. We know what they are." Will said in a no nonsense fashion.

Sam scratched his head. "Okay…never going to do that again."

After a long moment a sound of shifting of gears were heard as the soldiers became uneasy though Will kept a flat palm up to calm them. Optimus stood to his full height as some of the soldiers still were uneasy as they left their itchy fingers on their triggers. "You are aware of our presence? and do not come here with hostile intent?" Optimus said.

Will was silent for a moment to take in that he was being spoke to by him, but shook his head quickly refraining himself, "a few of the men here are survivors of the attack in Qatar. Your enemy? cleared us out like we were in the way." He explained. "My unit managed to escape, but even then we were being picked off by this-"

"Nasty bug lookin' thing. Kind of looked like a scorpion or something." Epps said. "We fought head on eventually, figured out some of your weaknesses and how to fight you too. But, it sucks to admit this but, we can't fight them alone."

"Here's the thing, we need confirmation that we are being invaded here." Will said.

"It is confirmed, for what your planet holds." Optimus informed.

"And what is that?" he asked.

"Energon, that has been hidden here for centuries before your cities." He said.

"Damn, just how old are you guys anyway?" Epps said.

"Epps, shut up will ya?" Will said. "We've had numerous reports around the world, of sightings of similar hostiles, loud drilling and explosions. And now we've had reports from a civilian plane that they spotted and I quote 'giant alien zeppelin'."

"You know for the car disguise and all, you guys aren't exactly subtle." Epps said.

"Zeppelin?" Ratchet said. "The Warship perhaps?"

"How were you able to find us?" Sam asked.

"Had a guy tailing ya. After a video was posted up online of a fight that looked a lot like the big guy here and that fat big guy other there." Epps said.

"Fat?" Bulkhead hissed to himself as Bee calmed him down.

Then from afar a guy arrived from the foreground. "Our ranger, 'Wild Bill' here." Epps rolled his eyes when saying that. "The names terrible I know but he wanted it. Has been following you now for a while."

"William Fowler." He said a little sceptically to them. "Nice time to come dragging your War down here." He added.

Sam pointed to the bots in a melodramatic way. "Maybe you missed the memo, but a little acknowledgement please." he said.

Fowler rubbed a fist against his nose, "Don't really have an interest in aliens. More concerned with what happens here. That's how it should be." Fowler said.

"Sounds grudgeful when nothing has even happened yet." Sam replied awkwardly.

He glared at him, "Weird events have been happening for weeks now, they've just been branded as possible attacks from other countries and everyone is just **fine** with that explanation." He told him. "Well not me, there causing possible wars between different countries just for being here. Not to mention your little, 'grocery' trip ended up on the internet. as well as numorous damage to the road, sidewalk, neighbourhood blackout for at least three hours and a burning store to name a few."

"Bill, come on, most of that was caused by the other ones not them." Will said.

"**Most?"** she scoffed, "It's all the same to me. If both factors can make the sky light up like the fourth of July then their all potential threats." He said.

Epps shook his head performing a 'crazy' motion to Sam. "Well, we can't track the bad ones movement. Every time we try, our communications go down. So we don't know where there headed."

"Unlike your sources ours is more reliable, as we do know where they are headed." Ratchet said.

"And?"

"these are the co-ordinates." Optimus said producing a holographic screen from his palm.

"Mission City, that's somewhere between Arizona and Nevada." Will said. "I hope we can make it." He said.

"Then we should leave immediately." Optimus said. "Captain Lennox, you and your team must not get involved in our fight." He then stated.

He straightened his posture, "You can't stop that I'm afraid, it's your fight, but this planet holds our friends, families. And I'm sure as hell not going home with what's at risk even if I have to say no to a giant robot." He said.

"You speak valiantly, however i cannot allow that." He said watching them barely move an inch. "But nonetheless I do not have the power to stop you either as this is your choice and I will respect that."

Wills expression softened, "Then it's settled, you can explain the details on the way."

"I guess we're leaving again." Sam shrugged to Bee.

"**Looks like it." **he turned to Ellen, **"hey." **He said softly. **"It's time to go." **She looked to the floor as she sighed.

"O-Okay…"

* * *

><p><strong>1412/14 A/N: Fowler, Lennox and Epps all at the same time :P yeah i thought if Fowler used to be an army ranger, i wanna write him in before he retired, where he actually didn't have a gut or a really short tie X'D  
><strong>

** so, so far from my poll this fic is in the lead, followed by Transformers Prime Oc POV everything in-between, with that said and with the ideas, and requests i've received with different and 'humorous' scenarios i've been given by you guys whom by now are my interweb buddies xP. I've decided to upload your one shot requests and ideas into that story, turning it into a fic of one shots by the readers :P. **

**Heres a few i've been given as ideas so far.**

**Nightfury97: numerous ideas and requests :P in particular she wanted a series of fluff moments, in particular between OP and Ellen (not thats its already fluffy enough, but i think she means, frosting levels of fluff :P and that, is the danger zone :S) for Example i posted a chapter of when little El was sick, she wants what happened before, just as she was starting to get sick and wants a mother hen OP XD well, i've never been one to give up so yeah :P **

**She also suggested a chapter where my other oc Eve (2years older then Ellen) visits in the Prime universe. taking her out to have a good time, though accidentally ends up taking her to a not so friendly bar where Ellens drink gets spiked :P**

**Also (and if she remembers this talk) i made Ellen in the beginning with the use of a character creator, using different expressions and clothing for seasons and times, one of which happened to be...e-hem...a dress...yeah...so my good buddy here XD wanted me to write her going to her prom :P. she in general isn't really that interested in that kind of thing, so what i'm going to do is make a little and i hope cute one shot involving, Jack, Sierra and Ellen and its basically a scenario of a little bit of jealousy, and Ellen is not jealous in a crush kind of way, more like the fact that Jack bends over backwards for Sierra, when she barely even knows anything about him. and of course on the other hand Ellen is like "B-But, we're close friends, Sierra only noticed him for a drag race that nearly got us killed, o-oh-oh yeah of course thats how it works, flex a bit of attitude and testosterone and you suddenly like him...u-rgh...fine, if Jack likes girls who are blander then toast, then i'll just stay home reading comics...'sigh...by, myself."**

**IshBabe1497: Asked for a one shot sort of taking place after Predacon rising and i qoute 'a one shot of Ellen finding Optimus after all the events of Predacons Rising. Either him coming back after a few years Post-Predacons Rising. Or coming to see her in a vision to remind her he is still there.' This is something that i personally have to been thinking about doing too, but of course i'd put it as a sort non-canon-oc-non-canon fic as by the info i got for the next series it probably won't go like that :P but i kind of would like to make this :)**

**WolfAssassin369: Another qoute, 'What would happen, if a Cybertronian relic of some kind accidentally switched Optimus and Ellen's minds? Ellen in Optimus' body and Optimus in Ellen's body? And to make things weirder, their voices have been switched too!' Like the other suggestions i've been writing this draft and...my word is it weird and awkward X'D especially how i've written OP and feeling for the first time what being in a fleshed body is like and...he expresses his uncomfortable thoughts very, politely of course XD **

**But either way, these are enjoyable scenarios to write so far, and as mentioned there all drafts, everything that i can think of and type it down so i have so many word programs up at the same time :P but i will finish these ideas, even if I've done them good or bad. i'll try my best to make it as entertaining as i can and of course, TRY to keep everyone in character :P.**

**Whoa...i went over board in this A/N I think O_o**


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